


The Lion of the League

by RhinoMouse



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Bellamy can be an ass but he grows, Clarke Griffin is a Badass, Clarke and Bellamy are our brotp, Clexa is basically married, Comic Book Violence, F/F, F/M, League of Assassins - Freeform, Lexa and Bellamy are angsty babies, M/M, Modern Setting Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Multi, The minor villains are all from Arrow, Vigilantism, changes more from Arrow cannon the farther in you go, lots of assassins, people die but sometimes they get better, so is Lexa, starts in s02e01 of Arrow, superhero au, wells is alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-14 23:43:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 35,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8033617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhinoMouse/pseuds/RhinoMouse
Summary: The sinking of the Griffin's Flight changed everything for Clarke Griffin. Now she is returning to her former life in hopes of restoring the city she once called home. However, returning to the friends who have thought her dead for six years may be more challenging than she assumed especially since her time as an assassin has changed her from the girl they once knew. The Arrow 100 crossover you never knew you wanted.





	1. Of Heroes, Assassins and Copycats

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, and welcome to our Arrow Au. So we’re starting this in season 2 of the Arrow timeline since honestly we didn’t want to write an entire season worth of Bellamy angsting while Clarke is off in Nanda Parbot being an assassin. So here we are. Going forward we try to explain in text the background and set up but if that confuses you, we have some important background information down in the notes after the chapter.

Clarke sat in the large bed staring at the side of the bed where Lexa normally slept. Lexa was still gone on her latest mission and Clarke knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Slipping out of the bed, she pulled on her formal clothing of the League before heading to where she knew Titus would be spending his time. Her steps were silent as she arrived at the door. Gustus nodded to her and stepped to the side allowing her to enter. Once in the room, she bowed to Titus, her lover’s father though she knew to only use his private name when not discussing business. “Ra’s Al Ghul.” 

He looked up from the book he’d been reading by the fire and stared at her for a moment before speaking. “Tell me what does my daughter’s beloved need that requires my attention, Al’asad?”

Clarke raised her head at the sound of her title within the league. “I have served you and the league faithfully for five years. I ask that you give me leave to return to my home of origin.” 

Titus didn’t even bother looking at her as he returned to his book. “I will not release you, clearly it was a mistake the last time I released a man, one I won’t be making again.” 

It was so very frustrating to Clarke that he was being purposely obtuse. She had not asked to be released and she never wanted to be released, she’d found her purpose inside the League. The idea of returning to her normal life outside the League was frightening. “Starling city is in chaos in the wake of Thelonious Jaha’s attack. If you believe it was a mistake to release him all those years ago, then allow me to help rebuild the city.” 

Titus looked at her carefully his eyes calculating. “You wish to serve the league but as Clarke Griffin not Al’asad then.” 

“Clarke Griffin is a piece of the past of Al’asad. I am Al’asad but I can use that piece to aid the league.”

“And yet you still hold attachment to the life once lived by Clarke Griffin since you wish to return to her home.” He remarked closing his book and turning to face her. 

Clarke breathed in and considered her next words. She knew Titus would not be impressed if she explained she would always be Clarke Griffin even if she was also just as much Al’asad, the lion of the league. “I have forsaken all attachment outside the league, but Thelonious Jaha is a ghost of my past and a ghost of the league. Allow me to return our honor to us by helping the city recover from the atrocity he has committed. Over 305 innocents dead at his hand in a single night. That is surely not something the League can let stand. I am your best operative for dealing with things in Starling city.”

Titus stood and clasped his hands behind his back and looked down at where she knelt before him. “Very well Al’asad. You are to depart for Starling City. You may take on the identity of Clarke Griffin and take her place as CEO of Griffin Inc. Using this power, you will rebuild the city as well as expand the League’s interests in the region. The city will be turned into a place for compromised operatives to go to ground, to receive medical aid, and to arm themselves. During your time there, you will evaluate the one called the Hood and report back if he is a piece worth recruiting and if so in what capacity. While you are in Sterling, you will have no contact with the League. You’re only method of communication to the League is to be Ontari. As my daughter and the head of League business in the Americas, you will report to her and her alone. Lexa is no longer your point of contact and to report back to her is forbidden. You may only choose one lesser member of the League to accompany you. You will leave now.”

Clarke bowed her head. “As you command master. I beg leave to leave a letter informing Lexa of my new orders. As your heir, surely she can be informed of my mission.” 

She didn’t dare look up knowing that Titus didn’t approve of her. Nor her relationship with his heir and daughter Lexa. Finally, he spoke. “You may leave a letter for my daughter with me.” 

Clarke didn’t reply just dipping her head lower and raising her hand over her heart. After all, he was being merciful. She was preparing to leave the room to write her letter and carry out her orders when Titus’ voice halted her. “And Al’asad, if you try to manipulate me again you will pay the price.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy wiped his rag along the counter of the bar, cleaning up the sticky residue from the night before that still clung to the surface. He had hoped he’d be doing something different by this point in his life, something other than bartending at the hottest club in Starling. Well, his life plans hadn’t included being marooned on a god forsaken island for five years of his life either. At least the Griffin family had seen fit to pay a settlement to all the surviving family members of the crew. His sister had used her portion to pay for law school, and buy a lovely rent controlled apartment way above her means. 

“So, want to tell me why you’re sulking up here instead of doing something useful?” Raven asked as she sat herself down at a stool by the counter. 

Bellamy closed his eyes and wished she’d disappear, or maybe he could, he was good at that. “Doing my job, earning my keep, being a responsible adult, pick the one you want.” He looked up and grimaced at the sight of the team. Monty and Miller had come in as well. 

“You know that’s not what she meant.” Miller said taking a seat next to Raven. “This city needs help Bellamy, help you can give it.” 

“I’m done, or didn’t you get that? I failed. I left nothing but death in my wake and still couldn’t save anyone.” He said bitterly. 

“You think a little failure and suddenly you can’t do any good anymore?” Raven challenged. “Those manic copycats of yours are running around causing panic.” 

“Come on, what changed Bellamy? It’s been a month.” Monty said in frustration. 

Bellamy bit his tongue and refused to answer, turning to organize some bottles behind the counter. Miller answered for him though. “Atom, that’s what changed.” 

Raven snapped at that. “We all lost people in the quake. Jaha killed a lot of people’s friends and families, but that doesn’t mean we can’t move on with our lives.” 

“You’re not taking into account what comes with being the Hood, the body count.” Bellamy bit out. “Do you know what Atom called me when he found out? A murderer. Anyone I kill will be a stain on his memory.” 

His friends and team fell silent at his proclamation. Bellamy was irritated but knew that taking it out on the people who’d saved his life more than a few times, while he’d run across rooftops putting arrows into bad men was foolish. He stuffed his rag into his back pocket and moved to where the new shipment of beer had come in and started to wheel it back to the taps. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, some of us have work to do.” 

“We all have jobs and lives.” Miller said, moving to help with the beer kegs. After all, he worked there as well.

“I know. That wasn’t fair, but I’m done okay?” He looked at them, hoping for understanding. “The list is done, and I failed. I’m done.” 

His pronouncement had barely been in the air when the doors of the club crashed open and Octavia came sprinting in with a bang. “Turn on the news!” She panted. 

Monty picked up the remote off the counter and pulled up the news on the screens that usually showed music videos or sports games and revolving drink orders. The news reporter was talking besides the photo of a face Bellamy would never be able to forget. He could hear the sharp inhale from Raven as they all saw Clarke Griffin’s face on the screen. He stared in shock. She was older and had a blanket around her shoulders, her hair darker and tied back. There were new lines around her face but it was still her. It took a moment for the information to sink into his brain. Clarke was alive. 

His legs fell away as he hit the ground. “But she died.” His shock didn’t stop the information from going into his ears. Clarke was alive, amnesia, local village in Laos, worked as a healer. 

Raven let out a laugh and he could hear the emotion in her voice. “Princess got a Laos village and got to basically do that whole doctors without borders thing and you got fucking hell island. It figures.” 

Octavia spoke up, “They’re saying it was amnesia and she didn’t remember anything till she saw her mom on tv after the earthquake.” 

Bellamy choked slightly. “I saw her die. I don’t…” 

Miller slapped him on the back. “Apparently, she was less dead when she was washed out to sea than you thought.” 

“We have to go find her.” Bellamy said, jumping up to his feet easily. “I have to go talk to her, if she doesn’t remember. I just...” He felt panicky. The news said amnesia but she remembered now. Was that everything? Did she remember what they went through on Lian Yu before the sub, before Pike, before she’d been sucked out to sea bleeding and injured. Did she remember her father’s dying message? He’d passed it on as Mr. Griffin had told him, gone on the crusade the man had left them, but well, he’d failed at that. Failed to keep Clarke safe. Failed at everything. He had to see her. It didn’t feel real but he had to find her. 

Miller grabbed his shoulder, holding him still. “Bell, she’s not even in country yet. And she’s going to want to see her mom first. Raven and I work for Griffin Inc. Raven was her roommate before the ship. We’ll figure out a way to get in contact with her.”

He nodded his head, it was true. She may not even remember him as more than just a casual acquaintance. Pouncing on her and trying to remind her of torture, death and those hellish months she’d been on Lian Yu with him after their ship wrecked could be traumatizing. If she didn’t remember, she deserved that peace of mind. Pulling himself together, he focused on his work. “If she doesn’t remember me, then she doesn’t need to be reminded.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Lincoln was not especially fond of flying and found sharpening his knives soothing while they were in the air. Private planes had their benefits and knife sharpening was one of them. It did not help his nerves that he was the only companion and guard for the Beloved of the heir, Al’asad. He looked up at his companion and charge. “What will be our first order of business Al’asad?” 

Al’asad looked up from her files. “You can start calling me Clarke or Ms. Griffin. From this moment forward I am Clarke Griffin, sole heir to the Griffin fortune and business.” She raised her brow pointedly at him. “And you are Lincoln Pine my new bodyguard who I’ve hired in light of my terrifying experience being stranded with amnesia in a tiny village.” 

He tapped his file on his new cover meaningfully. “Ex-special forces, you made me American.” 

Her mouth quirked slightly. “I’m not so high ranked I know who you were before you joined Lincoln. I just knew that your name before you took your new one was Lincoln.” 

He tilted his head. “I am Fannan, it is strange to be called Lincoln once more.” 

“Yes, the artist. It’s why I chose you. I needed someone who still held onto the parts of their soul that made reintegration into normal society for a long cover non-traumatic.” She flipped a page in her file. Letting out a disgruntled breath of air, she complained. “Clarke Griffin’s company has been nearly ruined by Thelonious Jaha and Abby Griffin’s incompetence. It will take us a long time to establish a proper hold for the League.” 

“How do you intend to retake the company?” He asked curiously. He’d never worked this type of long term mission before. 

She rolled her shoulders, “It’s my birthright. Taking control isn’t the hard part. It’s taking a company famous for being involved in making the weapon that destroyed nearly a quarter of the city and killed over 300 people and turning it into a major holding once again that is the problem.” 

He went back to his sharpening before deciding to ask another question. He’d never worked with a League member of any standing who was this open to questions before and assumed he should take advantage of that while she was in a mood to answer questions. “Why amnesia?” 

She laughed. “I only had four hours to come up with a cover story and it explains why I never came forward. I could have gone with human trafficking but I need to be perceived as strong and dependable. A lost child helping treat the poor in a rural village is far more trustworthy leading a company than a woman saved from the clutches of human traffickers. Obviously, the truth that I joined a league of assassins who kill very bad people wasn’t an option.” 

“Why not just a ‘finding yourself’ rich kid story?” He asked curiously. 

“Would you invest in a company run by a woman who was busy ‘finding herself’ while her mother was blackmailed into mass terrorism?” She looked at him seriously over the top of her papers. 

He shook his head. “No, amnesia is...a wise choice.” Flipping through his own set of orders and list of goals in order of importance, he frowned. “You have not listed finding the Hood’s identity as a goal. I was under the impression we had orders concerning him?” 

“The League has known who he is since he first appeared.” She waved off. “Or rather I knew and informed the League. The Hood’s identity is Bellamy Blake. He was on my family’s ship the Griffin’s Flight when it went down in the China Sea. He was on Lian Yu during the time I was there as well. We have no need to ingratiate ourselves with the Hood. After all, Clarke Griffin is a friend.” She smiled. “He’s a good guy. I’m unsure of if he’d suit the League but at the least he would make excellent cover for any of our operatives coming in and out of the city.” 

Lincoln fell silent. They’d all heard the story of Al’asad. The woman who had killed Dr. Ivo on the cursed island named Purgatory, Lian Yu. The place’s curse was well known and had its fair share of victims, any who touched its shores was sure to suffer through their own hell before either dying or leaving a changed man. Lexa, heir to the Demon, had found Al’asad floating in some wreckage off the island, having already unknowingly accomplished the League mission to kill the doctor and destroy the doctor's research. So she’d been taken in, trained and had taken her new name and place in the League. She had become the Beloved of the heir not long after taking the oath. She was a rare member who had had no military or formal training in war from any source before being found and offered a place. 

“You have another question, ask. I’m a silly American who talks too much. I won’t punish you for questioning me.” She said, flipping to the next page of her file. 

He looked at her carefully and found he believed her. “Why did you request this mission?” 

She sighed leaning back in her seat. “Because I am Al’asad, but I was also once Clarke Griffin. The part of me that was once her has unfinished business in Starling City and I intend to finish it.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Octavia walked down the stairs carefully in her heels and red dress heading towards her new boss DA Indra and the Mayor. They seemed to be having a lively debate over whether vigilantism was an American pastime or a criminal enterprise. The mayor’s comparison of the Hood to their founding fathers and their Boston tea party was quite a reach and she had to repress an eye roll. 

She was nearly to them when she heard Indra remarking, “I would hardly compare our founding fathers to the vigilante or these twisted copy cats that have risen in his wake.” 

The mayor had noticed her approach and waved her over with a smile. “What do you think about vigilantes Ms. Blake?” 

It was easy enough to agree with Indra but as a new DA working under the woman insulting the mayor was not the best course of action even if these sorts of conversations irked her. “I would be foolish to disagree with my new boss.” 

Indra gave her a slight nod of approval before returning her attention to the mayor. “As you can see I made a wise decision hiring her.” The intimidating woman was an icon of law and order in Starling City and Octavia felt herself welling with pride at the slightest hint of approval. 

“I’d heard you’d joined the district attorney's office.” The mayor said seemingly pleased to be in on the latest gossip. 

Be polite she reminded herself. “It was time for a change.” The fact that the change was a necessary one because her fledgling law office had been completely destroyed in the quake and the idea of rebuilding where Atom had died made her sick was not a subject for polite conversation. Bellamy would be proud of her, finally acting like an adult, that was if they were speaking properly what with him keeping secrets ever since he came back from the dead a year ago.

“Still, I’m sorry you and your colleagues at CNRI won’t be opening your doors again.” The mayor said sympathetically. 

“There were no doors left to be reopened.” She felt a crack forming in the polite mask she was using to impress her new work colleagues. 

A soft dinging filled the room as a man began to call for everyone’s attention. The mayor patted the side of her arm sympathetically. “That’s my cue, they’re playing my song.” He trotted up the stairs to the podium where he would be giving his speech. She turned to watch shoulder to shoulder with Indra. 

The Mayor came up behind his podium and began. “Good evening. It has been a very difficult year for Starling City. Our losses have been incalculable. Our grief unimaginable, but with the generous donations you people are making tonight we will come back from this tragedy.” 

A loud booming voice interrupted him. “YOU HAVE FAILED THIS CITY MR. MAYOR.” 

Octavia and the rest of the guests looked up trying to see where the voice was coming from but the area was obscured. She felt a flicker of fear and anger. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard the infamous declaration of failure the Hood gave before killing or terrifying his victims. 

“The Glades descended into hell on your watch!” The voice continued, definitely masculine but she could tell this wasn’t the Hood. One of the copy cats then. She stiffened, nothing in the news about them had been good. At least the Hood hadn’t injured anyone except those he intended to until he came against the Dark Archer, Thelonious Jaha. 

“You swore to protect all the citizens of Starling not just the wealthy.” The voice was almost hoarse now. 

The Mayor looked slightly panicked. “I’m very sorry about this folks, we’ll have this sorted out in just a minute.” 

Octavia couldn’t help it as she looked back at the mayor with an incredulous expression. He couldn’t be serious. The Hood and his copycat nutcases were dangerous murders and he thought he could sort it out like a frat boy drinking too much and needing to be escorted out of the building? 

That’s when the gunfire started. The Mayor jolted back before collapsing. Octavia knew he was dead and turned swiftly as the other guests began to scream and run. She saw four hooded men with face masks and fully automatic weapons coming down the rear staircase. The cops that had been standing by moved to return fire but handguns against fully automatic rifles wasn’t a contest. The sound of gunfire filled the air as her heart beat in her chest. Two of the gunmen headed towards Indra and her. 

The lead gunman grabbed at the front of Indra’s dark dress. “Mrs. District Attorney,” the man sneered. 

Octavia knew in that moment that they were going to kill her boss and felt herself acting on instinct. Having a cop for a former step-father paid off as she threw a right cross straight into the hooded man’s face causing him to fall rolling down the stairs before coming to a stop. Spinning towards where she knew another attacker was, she came to a halt staring down the barrel of a pistol and the hard eyes of the other gunman. Clearly, the other two of the foursome were keeping the room secure while this happened she realized. 

He gestured with his gun towards the ground. Octavia bit her lip but slowly kneeled towards the ground as he began to speak. “We are the Hoods and what was taken from us, we will take back.” She wanted to close her eyes, she knew he was going to shoot her now and probably Indra after her. That was when the one she’d punched spoke up from where he was picking himself up from the ground. 

“I know her, she’s that charity case of Abby Griffin’s.” 

The man holding the gun to her head seemed to focus on her even more. “You’re coming with us.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Wells paced anxiously in the foyer of the Griffin family home. Clarke should be arriving any minute now and he could hardly stand it. Growing up, their families had been close. Both the sole heirs of massive fortunes and paraded around an endless series of luncheons, dinners, and parties, they’d been attached at the hip. Quietly mocking the guests who seemed to cycle in and out of their lives and homes. The other children at school only approaching if they wanted something but otherwise kept their distance. Clarke was as good as his sister. They’d spent nearly every waking hour together growing up. When his mother died, it was Clarke who slept beside him under the covers and shared her favorite stuffed lion with him while he cried. It was the Griffin’s who’d given him his own room in their home while his father left to the far corners of the world for years swallowed by his grief. 

Now, years later the home of what he’d come to view as his true family sat empty. The furniture was covered in sheets that he’d had to remove that morning. After his father had threatened, blackmailed, and done every reprehensible thing in order to destroy a quarter of the city with an earthquake machine with some twisted idea of freeing the city from the slums and giving it room to regrow. The city had turned against the Jaha and Griffin families. Justly so in his family's case. He felt his hands shaking. He prayed Clarke would not judge him for the sins of his father. He hadn’t known anything about them till the end, but it didn’t change the fact that her mother was in prison awaiting trial for the crimes his father had forced her to help him commit. He hated his father with a ferocity that scared him sometimes. 

Shaking himself, he opened the door and decided to wait on the front steps. Clarke deserved to be greeted immediately on finally coming home. Even if she did hate him now, he would stand by her side and protect her. After all, it was the least he could do after his father’s madness had not only destroyed a part of the city but also destroyed their families and lives. He felt like he was going to throw up from nerves. He wondered how Octavia had survived this when Bellamy was discovered on that damned island. He’d been by her side for that, a friendship forged in grief after the loss of their siblings. Not that she was talking to him anymore, his father had seen to that. 

His head snapped as he saw the car coming up the long drive. He felt a smile rise up on his face at the sight of it. He recognized a Griffin company car when he saw one. His nerves hit a second later making his smile a bit weak as he stood still at the top of the steps waiting as it pulled to a stop. The driver, a tall, bald, intimidating looking man, got out and opened the backseat door. 

Suddenly Clarke was before him, her blond hair falling about her face, familiar blue eyes that locked onto him almost instantly and it hit him that it would destroy him if she hated him as well. However, she was smiling at him and he found his feet moving him towards her and down the steps. “Clarke,” It didn’t even bother him that he could hear how choked he sounded. 

“Wells!” Her face was alight with joy and relief and he couldn’t stop himself. He was dragging her into a hug feeling her face pressing into his shoulder and her arms squeezing him back. He never wanted to let go. Closing his eyes, he buried his face in her hair and felt tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Clarke, you’re alive.” He said with all the awe in the world at the miracle before him. 

“I’ve missed you.” Her voice vibrating against the side of his neck. 

Laughing wetly, he pulled back finally, knowing that the hug had been going on uncomfortably long. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Come on in, I got the place ready for you.” 

She smiled softly and reached out, slipping her arm around his as they began to walk into the mansion. “Thank you, for everything.” 

“You’re the only family I have.” He said, opening the front door. “I’ll always be here for you, whatever you need.” 

She pulled them to a stop and looked at him seriously. “Wells, I’m sorry about your father.” 

He cringed. “That he was an insane mass murderer or that he was killed while trying to destroy half the city?” 

“Both,” She replied firmly. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t here to stand by you while it happened.” 

It was suddenly too much and he pulled back. “How can you not hate me?! My father had your boat sabotaged, everything horrible that has happened to you was his fault. He threatened and coerced your mother into helping him make a weapon of mass destruction and now she’s standing trial as the public scapegoat because he’s dead and not here to take the blame. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know I swear I didn’t know!” He felt panic swallowing him. This had been a mistake. How could he have ever thought Clarke would want to see him again. 

“Wells!” Clarke exclaimed grabbing either side of his face and forcing him to look at her. “You’re not responsible for your father’s crimes.” She then roughly pulled him into another hug.

He found himself sobbing as he held her. “You were dead.” He sobbed. Squeezing her to him as tight as possible. He didn’t pull back till he heard the pointed clearing of a throat. Stepping back, he felt his face warm at the look the driver was giving him. It was impressively intimidating. 

Clarke seemed to register the driver at the same moment. “Wells, this is Lincoln Pine. I hired him as a bodyguard when I realized what had been going on while I was out of it.” 

Wells stepped forward and offered his hand. “I am incredibly grateful she has you then.” 

Lincoln had a firm grip and Wells waited till he heard Clarke walking inside before dropping the man’s hand. “A lot of people want the daughter of Abby Griffin to pay, don’t let anything happen to her.”

The man seemed to consider him before nodding. “It’s my task. I won't fail.” 

“Good, then you should come in, we’ll hopefully be seeing a lot of each other.” He left, trusting the man was behind him. He found Clarke in the sitting room, staring at a family portrait mounted above the fireplace. 

“No one has been staying here have they?” She asked without turning around. 

He sighed. “No, I couldn’t let Abby support me after my dad disowned me. I have my own apartment in the city. With Abby in prison, the staff left. Didn’t want to work for a mass murderer.” He cringed. “Not that she is one but…” 

“But it’s what they believe.” Clarke said, turning away from the painting. “You wouldn’t happen to know of any apartments up for lease would you?” 

He felt slightly confused but answered anyways. “Yeah, a lot of people who can afford it are getting out. Real estate is fairly easy to come by these days. This is your home. Don’t you want to stay here?” 

Clarke ran her fingers along the back of the couch while continuing to survey the room. “I’ve been gone a long time. This house is full of ghosts now and staying alone with them is…” 

Wells nodded understanding. He’d left his own family house to rot even though he had ownership of it now. His father had disowned him but never written him off as his heir and he didn’t want anything to do with the money now that he had access to it once more. “I can help you find a place. You can stay with me till then if you want.” 

She smiled. “That would be nice, but I can stay in a hotel. I doubt your couch would fit Lincoln here.” 

He smiled, quirking a glance at the man, he truly was built. “No, you’re right he’d never fit.” 

Turning serious once more, he forced himself to ask. “I know she’s in prison and after everything our parents did you have every right to never speak to her again, but my father threatened her life, and she is the only reason the attack didn’t cost more lives. Do you plan on seeing your mother?” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Monty followed Bellamy down into the basement of the club. He knew despite it doubling as Bellamy’s crash pad and secret lair for the team, he hadn’t been back to it since the night of the Undertaking when Jaha had brought hell to the city. He grinned as he walked over to the power box to throw the lights on in the room. Octavia being kidnapped was horrible, but it meant they were finally back in business. “We made some improvements for when you were ready.” 

He felt Raven bump his shoulder beside him. “Well, I improved our computer systems. Raven did the rest.” 

Bellamy seemed to be struck dumb, looking around at the high tech setup, all his equipment organized in glass cases. The lighting was far less ‘villain lair’ now as well which was nice, really the earlier lighting had been killer on his eyes. The work out and target range had been improved and wasn’t just crap Bellamy put together with what had already been down here. Raven had built actual targets for him. After a moment Bellamy seemed to have processed the new lair remodel and turned to them. “We need to find these guys.” 

Miller grinned at them as he moved further into the lair. Monty felt the anticipation building excited to be getting to do his job again as he quickly slid into his new chair in front of his computer screens. Really, this chair was amazing, Raven deserved a medal for either designing or just acquiring it. “I’ve been trying, we figured you’d come around eventually.” 

“Octavia’s boss, Indra, said one of them was missing part of his hand. Maybe a veteran?” Bellamy suggested, standing behind Monty’s shoulder. 

Monty pulled up his list of candidates for the hood copycats and added in the new information. Knowing his list wasn’t complete, he opened it up to the general Starling City populace. 

“Check hospital records for males that have had surgical amputation on their extremities.” Bellamy commanded, his hand resting on the back of his chair clearly watching the search with laser focus. 

“Cross checking by race and age.” Monty’s fingers flew. The thrill of returning to his role in the lair causing him to nearly smile. “Got one, Jeff Devo, African American, late thirties.” He looked up over his shoulder where Bellamy was still looking like he’d been sucker punched. Miller gave him an approving nod while Raven sat on one of the metal tables watching with clear interest. The team was back. 

“What else can you get on him?” Miller asked quickly, clearly focused on the mission. 

Spinning back to his computers he flipped through documents that he most certainly was not supposed to have access to but if they wanted them secret than they should have been better protected. “Ex-marine.” 

“That would explain how he learned to handle himself. Lose his hand over seas?” Miller said, a tone of respect leaking into his voice. Once a marine always a marine, Monty thought in the back of his head of Miller’s attitude. 

He cringed internally as he saw the details. “No, in the earthquake. Says here that his wife and him were trying to make it across the 52nd street bridge when it collapsed.” He swallowed before continuing. “She didn’t make it.” 

“Phone records please, I want to know who he’s in contact with and who else might be involved.” Bellamy said his voice sounding dead and angry. 

Monty pulled up the phone records while cursing that their criminal had to be someone Bellamy and all of them would empathize with and understand on some level. “He’s made a lot of calls to a church in the glades, someplace called Standing Strong. It’s a support group for people who lost loved ones in the quake.” 

“Great place to meet three other guys as angry as you are looking for a little payback.” Miller remarked, clearly having put the pieces together. 

“Get me an address.” Bellamy said, turning away from the computers and heading to examine the racks of custom arrows Raven had been spending her time making. Monty pulled up the address but didn’t say anything. He felt sick at the prospect of Bellamy killing these people. Bellamy would never forgive himself for this. 

Raven spoke while hopping off the table and opening a case on it that had been behind her. “You’re going to need this. I custom made it to the last detail.” She grinned cockily up at Bellamy as he walked over. “How’d I do? Out of this world like usual?” 

Monty stood to get a better view of Raven’s latest project. It was a new bow. He could tell it was beautiful. It had a black, minimalistic design and was a compound bow that would allow Bellamy to use a higher poundage on the draw. The joints were clearly reinforced and he had no doubt it’d been built to withstand hand to hand combat against any sort of weapon without damage. 

Bellamy reached out, picking it up and testing its weight, his eyes going along its lines. “It’s perfect.” 

He couldn’t stop himself he had to speak up and make something clear. “You were right. Once I signed on I stopped thinking about all the bodies you dropped.” He could still remember when Raven had approached him about his thoughts on the vigilante. He’d instantly known she knew who it was. The research and tech questions she’d been asking him lately making more sense in his head. “I knew being the Hood occasionally meant being a killer but maybe there’s another way.” Monty hoped for Bellamy’s sake there was. After all, not all of his missions had ended in the death of the target. He’d sent several to prison or the hospital and not the morgue. 

“They have my sister. What other way is there?” Bellamy hadn’t looked at him just staring at his green leathers and hood hanging in a glass case ready to be worn.

____________________________________________________________________________

Clarke felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Slipping it out, she checked the notification. A string of swear words wanted to escape but she couldn’t say them without alerting Wells that something was wrong. 

“Back in society for a day and you already have a phone?” Wells teased from where he was seated next to her in the back of the car. 

“I had to find something to do during the flight. Do you realize how many hours it takes to get from Laos to Starling?” She said while carefully texting instructions to Lincoln. Octavia could not be allowed to die. She’d made a promise and she intended to keep that promise. Her text unfortunately needed a large number of characters. Lincoln couldn’t be seen by Bellamy unless absolutely necessary and that complicated matters. Her orders were specific. Find Octavia, don’t intervene unless there is no other option. Don’t be seen. 

Wells rolled his eyes. “You always were an overachiever.” 

“What can I say, I don’t do relaxing or bored very well.” She replied. 

The car pulled up outside the prison and she got out before Lincoln could get to her door. Making the poor man open car doors seemed degrading to her, he was an assassin not her personal assistant. “Mr. Pine, leave the car and take the rest of the afternoon to yourself. I’ll be with Wells and should be safe enough here. After this, I’ll be headed to my company to settle the legal sign over of it to my person.” 

Lincoln nodded in understanding. “Of course, Ms. Griffin.” 

“Is that really a good idea?” Wells asked as they headed into the prison. 

“We’re in one of the most secure buildings in the city. And Griffin Inc has a security team. I’ll be fine for the afternoon.” She said, waving off his concern. 

Wells just shook his head. “Safety was never something you were good about and here I thought you had finally learned to be cautious when you hired a bodyguard without being told.” 

“It’s boring to play by the rules Wells, you should know that.” She smiled as they went through security. Her specially made knives didn’t set off the metal detector and when she was patted down the guard didn’t notice them. Of course, she expected nothing else, the League was the best at hidden weapons. 

Once in the visiting area, she stood formally with her hands by her sides, thumbs brushing against the seams of her pants. Wells had fallen silent as they waited for her mother to enter the room. Six years ago, when she’d gotten on the Griffin’s Flight with her father, she’d barely remembered to hug her mother goodbye. Now, she was an entirely different person. She let her eyes flicker to Wells and was grateful that he was by her side. He’d been so relieved she didn’t hate him that she was fairly certain he hadn’t even noticed how different she was now. However even if he did notice and it meant the end of this renewal of their friendship, she was thankful for the time she had with him. She’d missed him with every fiber of her being while she’d been gone. 

The barred door into the prison opened and she saw her mother for the first time in six years. She looked different here in the blue shapeless clothing of the prison. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and there was no makeup on her face. She felt complicated things about her mother. For all that Jaha had manipulated and threatened her, she had still been part of a plot to destroy part of the city and kill hundreds of people. However, she was also her mother, and she’d missed her for all the years she was away. Perhaps she had not missed her as much as she had mourned her father’s passing or felt empty without the presence of Wells, her brother in all but blood, but distance had a way of making you nostalgic for the things you lost.

Stepping forward, grabbing Abby’s anxious gaze as she searched the room, she spoke. “Mom.” 

Abby made a strangled sound and practically flew across the room, pulling her into her arms. “Oh my baby.” Abby murmured, kissing along her hairline while holding her as tight as she could. 

A guard made a pointed sound. “No contact with the prisoner.” 

Clarke pulled back but quickly grabbed her mom’s hands as she pulled them to a table so that they could sit across from each other. 

Abby held onto her hands tightly across the table, her face filled with joy and tears. “You look so beautiful.” She tightened her hands even more somehow. “You have to tell me everything.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Ontari stared with condescension at the remains of a corporation on the brink of bankruptcy. Really, she’d been planning on purchasing the company for cheap and liquidating its assets and selling the properties for a profit. However, apparently she was going to be helping rebuild it to its former prominence, a costly and arduous process she had no interest in doing. Still, when Ra’s al Ghul gave an order it was followed. Pulling out the chair behind the CEO desk, she sat down and tapped her fingers against the desk top. Glass walls were classy she had to admit as she watched Clarke Griffin and Wells Jaha making their way towards the office. It was rewarding to see Clarke’s face shutter shut in surprise at seeing her. 

As soon as the door opened she spoke. “Little Jaha, do see yourself out. This company’s running is none of your business.” She was not going to deal with the son of the man who’d shamed the League only a month before in a very public manner. 

“Who are you?” He challenged, stepping forward. 

Clarke quickly laid a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. “She’s Ontari Night and the new owner of 45% of the company stock. I can handle this. Why don’t you go get the two of us some coffee for when this meeting is over? I haven’t had good coffee in six years.” 

Wells turned and looked at Clarke seriously for a moment before complying. “Alright, just call if you need me.” He glared at Ontari over his shoulder before heading out of the room. 

Ontari waited for the door to be closed before returning her attention to Clarke. “Brave friend you have there.” 

“He’s not an issue and an asset to our cause.” Clarke replied taking the seat in front of the desk. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here so quickly.” 

Ontari scoffed. “I was already in the process of acquiring this company when I receive my new orders. Who knew fucking my sister would get you a personalized mission from our father. You sure you’re not fucking him as well?” 

Clarke’s face hardened, her eyes narrowing. “I’ll pretend you didn’t just insult Titus and Lexa.” 

“Yes, yes, you’re ever so loyal to my sister.” Ontari rolled her eyes. Really what had she done to deserve being saddled with her sisters bed warmer? “To business then. We have a lot of work to do and I’d like to be done with it as soon as possible.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy sat in the rafters of the church his eyes on Octavia. She was safe, unhurt, and clearly pissed. However, the current lack of danger allowed him to take a moment and watch before putting arrows into the gunmen’s chests. Listening carefully, he examined the situation. 

None of the copycats had their hoods up so he could see their faces. The youngest of the group looked nervous and kept glancing to where Octavia was tied to a chair. The black eye he was sporting made Bellamy smirk in pride for his little sister. 

“So, what do you want to do with her?” One of the older members of group asked. 

The younger kid spoke up quickly. “We could knock her out, toss her out somewhere where the police can find her.” 

“Come on, why don’t you just buy her a new pair of shoes while you’re at it.” The black one sneered. 

The leader spoke up to add his voice to the disagreement. “She’s seen our faces.” 

“Look,” The younger one said. “Offing the mayor is one thing, but her? She’s barely older than my sister was when she was killed in the quake.” 

“Your sister wasn’t killed, she was murdered.” The leader said. “By her friend and chief investor but sure let’s just let Abby Griffin buy the defense attorneys and get away with murder.” 

The fourth guy spoke up. “What we’re doing here is justice. Which makes us the heroes.”

Octavia had clearly had enough. “She didn’t kill anyone, and she certainly didn’t bribe me!” 

“Oh, what do you call the money she handed out to you then?” The leader asked sarcastically. 

Bellamy cringed knowing what was coming next. Octavia was not the sort to quietly stand by while her kidnappers talked. “Thelonious Jaha destroyed the glades! He blackmailed and terrified Abby into helping him. She paid me a single settlement when my brother was presumed dead on her family's yacht.” 

“Oh, so her being scared of him makes it all better? You knew who else was afraid? My wife when our house collapsed on top of her.” The leader pulled his pistol from its holster and brought it around towards Octavia’s head. 

Bellamy had an arrow on his bow and fired in seconds, sending the gun flying. “GET AWAY FROM HER!” 

He leapt off the balcony seating in the church and off into the shadows below while the copycats fired at where he’d been a few moments ago. Coming out of the shadows, he snapped the gun arm of the younger kid back mostly likely dislocating it as he punched him the face, one, two, three times till his body went limp. At least that one didn’t deserve to die. 

Swinging around a piece of construction equipment, he drew his bow back and fired, taking out copycat number threes gun. The black copycat, realizing how close he was, dropped his gun and went to punch him. It was a mistake. Bellamy flipped them both over and down to the floor, hitting pressure points that would knock him out as they rolled before using his bow to slap the earlier goon across the face as he went to take advantage of his position. The man stumbled before crashing across several pews no longer moving. 

Snapping his head up to where he heard Octavia make a startled sound, he focused in on the fourth copycat and the leader of the group. He was trying to take Octavia with him out of the church as a hostage. Bellamy was off and after them in a second. No one was going to hurt his sister. 

The man was tugging her roughly along with him when Bellamy came out of the shadows his bow drawn. “Let. her. Go.” 

“You want to save her?” The leader demanded, keeping his pistol aimed firmly at Octavia. “There was no justice for the people like the Griffin’s and their little bribed toadies till you showed us how to get it!” 

Bellamy released his arrow hitting him in the shoulder above the heart sending him reeling before falling over the banister towards the church floor. He didn’t even think about it darting forward past Octavia, who’d moved to the side as soon as she was released her hands still tied. He caught the arm of the leader of the copycats, preventing his fall. The jolt of his weight was jarring and Bellamy grunted at the effort it required not to drop the man. Glancing at where Octavia was standing, he shouted “GO!” 

He turned back to the man he was holding only to realize he’d used the arm he wasn’t holding onto to aim his gun at him. Bellamy cursed the man’s stupidity in his head. “You shoot me, we both die.” 

“You’ll drop me anyway. I know you, you’re a killer.” The man said the pain from the arrow in his shoulder clear in his voice. 

Bellamy swung his other hand down grabbing onto the man’s arm he was clinging to and began to pull him up to safety. “People change.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Officer Kane was sipping his pick me up cup of coffee preparing for the rest of his night shift and on the way back to his car when he heard a rattle. His coffee hit the ground as his hand dropped to his gun and he looked for an attacker. Only instead of someone out to gut a police officer, he saw four men tied to a chain link fence. The movement just past them drew his attention to it and he had his gun out and aimed in a heartbeat. 

The Hood was standing before him in full regalia. Sometimes, Kane wondered what his life was coming to that nut-bags in green leather looking like robin hood ran around his city. The familiar rough clearly altered voice of the Hood rumbled out to him. “Do you know who they are?” The tip of his bow pointed towards the men tied to the fence. 

A quick glance at the men with dark hoods and he felt some surprise. “I think the Hoods gives me a pretty good idea.” 

“Bring them in to face justice.” The Hood said. 

Lowering his gun, deciding the vigilante wouldn’t be trying to put an arrow in him tonight, he had to ask. “Where’ve you been? Typically, when I bring guys in you’ve caught they’re a little more dead.” 

“I’m trying another way.” The Hood replied before turning away and firing an arrow into the upper side of the building. Kane stared in less surprise than it probably warranted as he realized the arrow was a type of grappling hook that pulled the Hood up and out of sight. Shaking his head, he turned back to the surprisingly live copycats. He was going to have so much paperwork.

____________________________________________________________________________

Clarke pulled on her new gear she had ordered to be sent to her hotel room during her plane ride. It really had been ridiculously long. She may have volunteered to work on the legitimate business side of the League for a while but the idea of losing the adrenaline rush of hits was horrifying. Also, spending four hours working on paperwork with Ontari Night, Lexa’s half-sister from hell, was enough to make her need to punch some people. So she’d come up with an easy solution, vigilantism gave her a legitimate method of keeping her skills sharp, vent anger, and was probably the best way to ease Bellamy into the idea of her not being the same helpless girl she’d been on the island. Well, as helpless as someone willing to strap explosives to an innocent man to kill their enemies could be she supposed. 

She pulled out the Kevlar reinforced black leather corset and grinned. Lexa wouldn’t know what hit her next time she saw her. Really, the standard league wear was shapeless and made it hard to tell the gender of the member let alone show any appealing shapes. Between the leather pants, the corset, the shirt that showed a great deal of cleavage and the leather jacket with reinforced panels to aid in protection, shapeless and unnoticeable would be the last thing she’d be considered. She pulled on an eye mask and a red wig. It wouldn’t do for her to be identified after all. Bending every which way, she made sure the outfit wouldn’t hamper her mobility or flexibility. The corset gave some limitations but the added armor over her internal organs was worth it. 

Getting out of the hotel without notice was child's play and the motor cycle she’d bought, without plates in all black that sat outside where’d she’d ordered it be dropped off, was exactly as she’d wanted it. Getting to the glades, the slums of the city, was easy enough. Once there she found a rooftop with easy visuals of the street and waited. She doubted it’d take long for someone to volunteer to be her new punching bag. 

Sure enough, she soon saw a woman running with three men after her. The woman was headed towards the alleyway. Clarke dropped down and waited. The sounds of hard breaths and pounding feet came down the alley. Clarke let her collapsible bo staff snap into its long position and prepared to strike. The woman nearly made it to her position before tripping and falling. She didn’t wait any longer jumping over the prone woman’s body and bringing her bo down with a hard crack, hitting the fastest of her pursuers in the sternum. He hit the ground with a cry of agony as she spun, smashing the metal pole into the temple of the next attacker, dropping him like a stone. The third tried to backpedal but he didn’t make it more than an inch backwards before she was onto him sweeping his feet out from under him. A sharp strike from her staff and he fell still as well. Walking towards the first man, who was rolling around crying in pain from his surely broken sternum, she reached down hitting a pressure point knocking him out as well. 

She held back a groan at the sight of the woman she’d dropped down to save still motionless on the ground where she’d fallen. Walking over, she placed two fingers against the girl’s neck. Alive, but out cold. Considering the woman, who she was now realizing was little better than a teenager at best, she listed her options. With a final check of the alley, she reached down and heaved the girl up over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry and headed for the empty clock tower a block down. It wasn’t a hard walk and the two people on the street she passed gave her a wide berth and she had no doubt they’d never speak a word about her. After all, everyone knew that to stay out of trouble in a place like the glades you heard and saw nothing. 

Dropping the girl on the floor of the clock tower, she examined the inside of the building. Clearly abandoned for some time, there were sheets of plastic about, but the face of the clock gave an excellent view of the surrounding blocks. She’d have to look into turning it into a perch for the League. The position of it was strategic. Crouching down by the still unconscious girl, she checked her for any injuries. Other than some scrapes along her face, she was fine. Maybe she had a slight concussion but nothing too serious. However, her quick check of the girl showed that she was far too skinny. 

She looked up the nearest fast food joint on her phone and soon was heading off in the direction of the Big Belly Burger. Ordering was annoying, she had to throw on a hoodie and make sure that other than her pants none of her costume was showing before buying their dinner. Fortunately, no one batted an eyelash at a person in a hoodie ordering more food than a single person could possibly eat. After collecting a bag full of burgers, fries, and a couple milkshakes, she was heading back to the clock tower. She came in through the roof this time so she could double check the upper access points for future note. Dropping to the floor, she saw movement. Standing in the corner holding a piece of discarded rebar, was the girl, her eyes wide in panic. Holding out the tray of milkshakes, she offered. “Milkshake?” 

“Uh…” The girl lowered the piece of rebar slightly, looking confused. “What am I doing here?” 

Clarke set the shakes down on the floor and grabbed one out of the tray and stepped back sitting down on the floor leaning against the wall. “What’s the last thing you remember?” Reaching into the bag of takeout, she fished out a burger and tossed it to the girl. 

The confused looking girl caught it, automatically dropping the bar. “I...uh.” She slowly lowered herself down near the tray and began to peel the paper off from around the burger. “Those pricks thought I’d make an easy mark. I made for the alley and…” 

“I found you. Took care of your would be attackers. Eat, I wouldn’t poison something as sacred as a burger. Also, if I was going to hurt you I would have done it already.” She watched carefully as the girl’s shoulders lost some of their tension as she dug into the burger eating it in seconds. She tossed her a second burger. 

“So, why’d you save me?” The girl asked, looking up as she grabbed the milkshake. “I mean you want something in return right?” 

“A job offer.” Clarke said, taking a drink from her own milkshake. “There are no consequences if you turn it down. I’ll even throw in some fries if you hear me out.” 

The girl looked cautious again. “So, what’s the job?” Though she was being cautious, her eyes were still watching the food. Clarke held back a frown at the sight. 

“I need information on what’s going on here in the glades. You give me information and I’ll pay you cash, no strings.” 

“You’re not with the triad or something right?” The girl asked. 

Clarke grinned. “Oh, I’m a part of something much worse than that. You’re better off not knowing. My business requires the crime rates here in the glades being reduced, I don’t think who I work for should matter too much.” 

“So you’re like the Hood then?” She asked curiously, clearly becoming more comfortable. 

“In a way, but with connections and less angst.” She said, taking a bite out of her burger. She’d really missed fast food while working for Lexa. Her girlfriend had many great points, obsession with healthy food not being one of them. 

“How much are we talking?” The girl asked. “Cause I’m not gonna tell you anything for a pittance.” 

Clarke nodded, smart kid. “You leave a chalk mark on the wall over there when you hear new rumors. I’ll do the same if I need to speak to you. If the information is good two hundred in cash. If it’s not one hundred in cash. If I have a specific errand for you one hundred an hour in which your services are used.” 

The kid’s eyes widened her mouth half open from where she’d been about to bite into her second burger. Clarke continued, pretending she hadn’t noticed the reaction. “Of course if your services prove valuable we can discuss a regular paycheck in the future.” 

“You’re crazy.” The girl said. 

“So I’ve been told. She reached out her hand, offering it to the kid. “Al’asad, the lion, at your service.” 

“Monroe.” The girl, Monroe said taking her hand and shaking it briefly before pulling back. “I don’t want to know where you’re going to get all that money, do I?” 

“Correct,” Clarke said, standing up and dropping the bag that still had several burgers and some fries in it, on Monroe’s lap. “I’ll drop by to see if you have anything in the next couple days. If you’re turning the job down that’s fine. You’ll never see me again.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy sighed when he found Octavia where he’d been hoping not to find her, standing by Atom’s grave. He stood beside her, silently waiting for her to acknowledge him. She spoke up across the silence.

“Do you think he would have been proud of me?” She asked finally. 

“Of course, how could he not be? Look at what you’ve done, you’re in the DA’s office now, fighting the good fight. You amaze me constantly.” He said, reaching out taking Octavia’s hand in his own. 

“Before the Hood, we didn’t have things like earthquake machines or copycat vigilantes.” She said, staring at the headstone. 

Bellamy looked at her, “Octavia,” He paused… “Thelonious killed Atom.” 

“He was killed in the crosshairs of a duel between two archers.” She spat. “Now that Thelonious is dead, there is only one archer left and I’m going to be the one to catch him.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Miller was reading the news story on the arrest of the copycat vigilantes when he heard the steps of Raven and Monty dragging in their fearless leader. “Looks like Starling City is down to just one man in a hood.” 

“And the four of us are back in the archer business.” Raven said happily, sometimes Miller worried about a bored Raven, she’d made some scary explosive arrows while they’d been waiting for Bellamy to come around.

“No,” Bellamy said leaning against the computer station. “I spent the last year trying to follow Jake Griffin’s list. If we’re going to do this,” He paused looking at all of them seriously. “It has to be about honoring Atom. I need to become the man he hoped I could be.” Miller could see Bellamy’s logic. His best friend’s condemnation had destroyed him. The fact he was willing to continue was miraculous enough. Bellamy continued, seemingly not realizing the thoughts of his team. “You three have helped me take the first step.”

Monty sat down in his new chair and swiveled it around. “So what’s step two? I’m game for anything as long as it doesn’t involve a tech-less existence.” 

“The city still needs saving.” Bellamy said, which was obvious and Miller wondered that it had taken this long for the idiot to realize what they’d been telling him for a month now. Still, he wasn’t the insane one jumping across rooftops in green leather. “But not by the Hood and not by some vigilante that is just crossing names off of a list. It needs something more.” 

“It needs a hero Bellamy.” Raven said, surprisingly serious considering the circumstances. 

Monty piped up from his chair. “Too bad the Hoods kinda ruined your nickname.” 

“Naw it’s good, I never liked the Hood.” Raven said. “Like how boring is the Hood! What should we call you now then?” 

Bellamy spun an arrow between his fingers. “What about the Arrow?” 

“Lame,” Raven said from where she was sitting on a table. “Suppose it’s better than the loon over in Gotham, Batman, I mean really? Who’s scared of bats? Also that cape? How does the cape help with stealth?!” 

“You asked me to kidnap him so you could deconstruct his toys.” Bellamy said, his eyebrows raised. 

“That cape is fire resistant if that cell clip from a few months ago is to be believed. Don’t you want durable fire resistant clothing?” She asked playfully. 

Monty interpreted much to Miller’s relief, Raven on a nerd trip could go on for hours. “I don’t know I like the Arrow.” 

Miller decided to get the conversation away from hero names, really as long as he didn’t have to wear the leather he was fine. “So what’s the news on Clarke?” He watched Bellamy and Raven carefully. Both of them had been close to her before the ship had sunk. 

Raven turned serious instantly. “She was on the upper floors of Griffin Inc. today. If the rumor mill is to be believed, she’ll officially be the CEO by morning.” She looked down. “I didn’t see her. Though I doubt she knows I work for her now, and well, she did have to deal with that witch Ontari.” 

Monty shivered slightly. “If we’re looking for a new super villain, I totally nominate Ontari as a candidate.” 

“She takes over companies for a living, I think her villainous quota is met already.” Bellamy said dryly. “Monty could you find where Clarke is?” 

“Yeah of course. I can set up you two with a meeting with her tomorrow. I’m going to assume she doesn’t have a phone or anything yet. Whole rural Laos set up and everything.” He stood up. 

“Come on,” Miller clapped his hands. “Let’s get some drinks. We all have the night off and I think this new ‘no killing’ thing deserves a drink or two to commemorate it. Also you two.” He looked pointedly at Raven and Bellamy. “Are going to need some liquid courage for tomorrow.” 

“Good idea Miller.” Monty said walking towards the stairs up and out into the club. “Benefits of the lair being below a club.” 

Miller held the door open for the rest of the team as they trooped out and towards the bar. He nearly crashed into Raven as he went to follow them. She was rooted to the spot as was Bellamy. Following their line of sight, he saw a familiar looking blond standing by the bar smiling at them. Raven exclaimed “Clarke!” Then she was off like a shot, hugging her long lost friend. 

He stepped behind the bar and began to pour drinks for his friends. He noted the cocktail next to Clarke and made her a new one as well before coming back around the counter. He rolled his eyes and shoved Bellamy forward, who was awkwardly standing staring at the girl like he couldn’t believe his eyes as she and Raven laughed while hugging each other. Bellamy shot him a look over his shoulder before hugging Clarke and Raven who were still attached. 

“What are you doing here?” Raven asked. “We weren’t expecting you to even know what a club was anymore?” 

Clarke threw her head back and laughed. “I do have Wells, and surprisingly Laos does have internet, well some of the larger villages did.” She looked over at him and Monty who were standing not really sure what to do. She reached out her hand. “Clarke Griffin, which I’m sure you already know, who are you two?” 

He took her hand and was surprised by the callouses on her hand. “Nathan Miller, please just call me Miller.” 

Monty stepped beside him and took her hand after him, “Monty Green, I work in the tech division of your company actually.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet any friends of these two.” She grinned at Raven and Bellamy. “I look forward to getting to know you in the future.” 

“You’re not going on a boat ever again Griffin.” Raven said, throwing her arm around Clarke’s shoulders.

“Agreed. What about you Bellamy, you hate boats as much as I do now?” She asked.

Miller noticed the longer Clarke seemed to be comfortable in Bellamy’s presence the looser his shoulders got and the more genuine his smile. “Yeah, boats just aren’t for me anymore.” 

Clarke reached into a pocket and pulled out a phone and handed it to Raven. “Put yourself in there, we need to catch up. I haven’t had a girl’s night in six years.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jasper felt his phone in his pocket vibrating. He knew it was Maya, she was the only one who really called him. He picked up quickly. “Hey, do you need anything?” 

“Love you too Jasper, yes I’m doing fine, no I don’t need anything.” She said playfully. 

He laughed. “Sorry, I just worry.” He had worried about her ever since she’s lost her leg in the quake. She was only now getting used moving around on crutches, but she would be getting a prosthetic soon. He felt the familiar anger and rage at everyone responsible for what had happened to her. 

“I know. You better not be beating up the nearest drug dealer again.” Her voice was firm. “You’re going to get yourself killed if you keep it up.” 

He caught sight of two guys beating the crap out of someone curled on the ground. “I’m done with that now. How about I pick us up some dinner and meet you at the club?” 

“Sounds good, you can help me clean up.” She said sounding pleased. 

“Love you babe, gotta go.” He said, hanging up quickly and stuffing his phone back into his pocket before heading straight for the fight. “HEY YOU, LEAVE HIM ALONE!” 

The guys turned to face him. The larger of the two looked him up and down dismissively. “Oh, and what are you going to do about it?” 

He raised his fists. “Stop you.” 

The two guys laughed one of them pulling out a knife, “Yeah with what?” 

Jasper felt his face pale, before he could find out exactly how bad of an idea this had been a woman in black leather and a red wig dropped down behind the two guys. It was over in mere moments. Jasper could barely see the spinning of her metal pole only hearing the sharp cracks of it impacting body parts. It wasn’t long before they both fell to the ground and didn’t get back up again. He gaped. “Who are you?” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Lincoln was waiting for Clarke when she returned to their room at the hotel. She slipped in through the window in a ridiculous outfit. He felt the color drain from his face. If Lexa saw that her Beloved was wearing she’d remove the eyes of any who’d seen her in it. “Al’asad surely this vigilante thing is not for the league.” 

Clarke pulled off her mask and wig and seemed amused by his expression. “It’s not, it’s for me. I’m sure everyone is much happier when I don’t attempt to strangle Ontari.” 

He paused, it was a good point. Ontari was…he couldn’t think of a kind word so he didn’t pursue that thought further. “Surely you could wear your league gear and not this…costume.” He kept his eyes purposely high in an effort not to bring the wrath of Lexa down upon him. 

Clarke snorted. “Yes, running about in the same clothing as Thelonious Jaha in Starling city is an excellent idea.” She said sarcastically. “No, if I’m going to use this to keep my skills sharp and deal with any frustration Ontari causes, I cannot be connected back to the league.” 

He sighed in frustration. “At least allow me to cover your back?” 

“Of course, I have no doubts you would have with or without permission.” 

He tossed a green arrow to Clarke. “Will you be approaching the Hood soon?” 

“No,” Clarke peeled off her jacket. “He’s just now trying something new. I want to see what he does with that as well as allow him to grow without knowing he is under league oversight.” 

“As you command Al’asad.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Ontari picked up her phone that had been playing Darth Vader's theme. “Father.” 

“Ontari,” Titus acknowledged. “I assume you’ve made contact with Al’asad.” 

“Yes, she’ll be the CEO of Griffin Inc. by noon tomorrow as you commanded.” She paused before continuing. “Should I be expecting my sister here soon?” 

“No, in fact, if any league member finds out that Al’asad remains in the League and is under my orders, you are to prevent them from returning with that knowledge at any cost. They will instantly fall under your authority.” Titus commanded. 

Ontari scrunched up her nose and considered her father’s command. “If that is what you wish, but may I ask why?” 

“I have a test for my heir and her beloved and until they have passed it your orders stand.” He said, clearly done with the topic. 

“As you command.” She replied.


	2. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this took a while to get out. Rhino swears getting it to follow the show closely right now is beyond hard. That said in another chapter or so things are going to start changing from the show dramatically. By the time we get to chapter twelve they're going to be completely different stories. That said a bit longer of following the show's plot by the letter.
> 
> Also we spent way too long arguing about the physics of the trick arrows Bellamy uses. Just know that we know some of the shots and arrows are utterly ridiculous, but it's a comic book world. We're going to have fun with it dang it. 
> 
> Side note, a hozen is a buddhist prayer rock thing in the show. We're still not positive on it's actual historic existence google was remarkably unhelpful. But that said the hozen referred to in the chapter is a rock that they found on the island.

Raven watched the sea of bodies dancing to the thudding music she could feel down to her soul. She grinned as she moved to the rhythm beside Clarke and Wells who she’d dragged out onto the floor. She was buoyed up by the euphoria of her best friend being back, finally things were working for her. She had a job where she got to build awesome things, she had friends, she worked with Bellamy and the others to save the day, hell her best friend was back from the dead! She danced her way to the counter and signaled for three beers. Bellamy grinned at her as he popped the caps off of the requested drinks. “You look happy.” He said with a smile.

“Like you aren’t!” She said, taking the first beer and taking a long drink from it. “Clarke’s back. It’s a new day for the team. What isn’t there to celebrate?” 

Bellamy laughed and stuffed a rag into his back pocket. “I know it’s amazing! I don’t even know where to start. Last year we had the list.” 

Raven rolled her eyes, trust Bellamy to get caught up on details. “This is Starling, you don't’ have to look far for someone who needs to be stopped.” Reaching across the counter she slapped him in the shoulder slightly. “But relax! Tonight we get to celebrate something good! Really genuinely good!” 

“I hope you’re not distracting my bartender there Reyes.” Maya said as she came up with a tray full of empty glasses that she set on the counter shoving them towards Bellamy. “He’s got a lot of work to be doing.” 

Bellamy laughed taking the tray from the counter and disappearing with it to the back kitchen. Raven decided to rest her leg for a minute and leaned against the counter and smiled at Maya. “So where’s Jasper?” She asked curiously. The two of them were sickeningly cute and were rarely separated. 

Maya frowned slightly. “I’m not sure, he probably got delayed on his way.” 

Grabbing the bar owners shoulder, Raven squeezed. “Hey, I’m sure he’s fine.” 

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Maya said, with a shake of her head. 

Before she could inquire further into the subject Clarke dropped next to her grabbing one of the beers and knocking it back. Finally removing it from her mouth, she raised her brow at Raven questioningly. “Here I thought you were only going to get us drinks?” She grinned mischievously, clearly having spotted Maya. Reaching her hand out, she offered it to the woman. “Hello, I’m Raven’s best friend Clarke, and who might you be?” 

Raven groaned internally, this wasn’t college where Clarke had been constantly working as her wing woman in an effort to help her get over the Finn debacle. She elbowed Clarke in the side. “Clarke, this is Maya, she owns the club. Maya, this is my friend Clarke. Forgive her she’s been out of society for a while.” 

Maya snorted and accepted Clarke’s hand. “I was glad to see you were alive if only for this one and Bellamy’s sakes.” 

“Thanks.” Clarke relaxed and Raven could tell that like the night before Clarke was accepting a person simply because she or Bellamy considered them acceptable. “So, since you know Raven here I’m assuming you can tell me some stories of my favorite mechanic from the past few years?” 

Maya leaned against the counter and smiled. 

Raven rolled her eyes and sipped at her beer while Maya and Clarke chatted easily. Clarke had always been able to charm people when she wanted to and had been the one to smooth over tensions when feathers were ruffled. It pleased her that Clarke would make the effort to be charming just because she’d indicated Maya was a friend. She wasn’t blind, she could tell that this Clarke wasn’t the one who’d left. The way Clarke’s eyes mapped out exits and possible threats constantly, the way she almost brimmed with tension here in the club. Raven hadn’t spent two years in the military before her injury and discharge for nothing. She knew the signs of trauma and PTSD when she saw them. Though in this case, it was no mystery what sort of trauma she had suffered. After all, for all that Bellamy was tight lipped she knew Clarke had been on the island with him for some time. The question no one wanted to ask though was if she remembered that. Raven supposed it was possible that the symptoms of the trauma could linger even if the event that caused it wasn’t remembered.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Clarke turning to her while Maya answered her phone. “So, Raven we need to catch up in a less loud place?” Clarke gestured towards the DJ who was filling the room with music that made conversation almost impossible. 

“Movie night?” She asked, remembering fondly the many nights they had spent that way in college. If one of them had had a rough day or week, movies, popcorn, and a bitchfest occurred. 

Clarke grinned. “Of course, and I’ve been out of society for a while. You’ll have to help catch me up on some movies.” 

Raven went to confirm plans when she saw how drawn and stressed Maya’s face was as she approached them again. “What’s wrong?” She asked instantly on alert. 

Maya angrily shoved her phone into her purse. “Jasper was arrested in the Glades. I have to go post bail. Can you cover the rest of Bellamy’s shift? I need him to help find out what’s going on since his sister works for the DA office.” 

“Yeah I can do that, go get lover boy out of trouble.” Raven said, waving Bellamy over from where he was serving drinks. 

Clarke spoke up surprising them all. “Would you mind if I accompany you?” 

Maya frowned. “Why would you do that?” 

“Because you’re a friend of Raven’s, and because you are Bellamy’s boss. If you’re boyfriend needs a lawyer, helping you get one is the least I can do to repay you for being there for my friends when I couldn’t be.” Her face was serious and Raven recognized the look as the one Clarke got when she had decided on the right thing to do. 

Raven shrugged and looked at Maya. “There’s no arguing her when she gets that look.” 

“Well, thank you then.” Maya said gratefully. “You don’t owe me anything though.” 

Clarke stepped forward and tilted her head. “Let me be the judge of that.” 

“Why’d you wave me down?” Bellamy asked as managed to pry himself away from where he’d been using his charms to get unholy amounts of tips.

____________________________________________________________________________

Octavia stared at the surly form of Jasper Jordan sitting in the uncomfortable metal chair in the interrogation room. He’d wrecked a vehicle in the Glades trying to run down several members of the triad. However, that wasn’t what interested her. He’d had an arrow on him when police showed up. “Who is he Jasper?” 

“I already told you, I don’t know.” Jasper was practically sulking, slouched into the chair. 

She wasn’t impressed. “So, you just happened to have one of his arrows?” She dropped the short arrow on the table where it clicked theatrically. 

“It’s not like he has a monopoly on arrows.” Jasper snarked back at her. 

She leaned over the table. “I can have you charged with obstruction right now if you don’t want to cooperate.” It was clear Jasper wouldn’t be saying anything to that. He was shutting down. She closed her eyes and sat down across from him. She would have to try the nice approach since the aggressive one wasn’t working. “Look, I get it. He has a certain manner that inspires those who meet him, but he’s a killer Jasper. Wherever he goes, death and chaos follow. I need you to help me stop him. You trying to emulate him is just going to make the problem worse.” 

“Half the city fell into a hole.” Jasper spat. “It’s already worse. Some of us are actually trying to make things better.” 

Octavia frowned, “What like you and the Hood?” 

Jasper leaned forward with what she realized, with some surprise, was excitement. “Look there are others. Others willing to do what’s right. I’ve seen them. I’ve seen her.” 

This was pointless. There would always be copycats of the Hood with the amount of media attention he got. If she could just get him, the rest would go away. “I’m not interested in the others. I’m interested in him.” Sometimes she wished she could just bang this idiot's head into the table and make him tell her what he knew. Sadly, the law was the law. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy felt awkward sitting beside Clarke while they waited to hear back from Octavia about what was going on with Jasper. Maya was pacing, which couldn’t be good for her prosthetic leg. However, he liked his paycheck the way it was and wasn’t stupid enough to try and stop her. Lincoln, Clarke’s body guard, had excused himself to go wait in the car half an hour ago. The longer the wait went on, the wiser that decision seemed. Police stations had made him twitchy ever since he started breaking the law in his free hours. 

Finally, Maya sat down next to them joining in their silent wait with a cringe. He couldn’t help it he had to ask. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine.” She said shortly, clearly worried about her boyfriend. 

He decided to let it rest at that. After all, he wasn’t exactly the poster child for honestly sharing his issues. He glanced at Clarke, who was clearly reading emails on her phone. “How do you already have an email account?” He found himself asking.

Clarke looked up from her phone. “It’s the twenty first century. Are you telling me you didn’t get caught up on tech the moment you were off the island?” She cocked an eyebrow at him in amusement. 

He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “Well see…”

Maya cut over him. “He’s still a bit behind actually.” 

A light hearted laugh from Clarke washed some of his stress away. It was unbelievably good not to be responsible for her death any longer. He watched as she looked at him humorously. “Blake you gotta keep up with the times.” 

“I seem to remember you being a bit behind the times on tech before the shipwreck.” He pointed out knowingly. 

Clarke coughed, “Long plane rides and helpful body guards tend to alleviate such issues. Also, they did have phones in Laos you know.” 

He accepted her answer and fell silent again. Their wait was ended by Octavia coming out of the interrogation room. He was on his feet and heading for her instantly. He could tell she was frustrated but not angry, so there was hope Maya would be getting her boyfriend back in one piece. “O, what’s going on?” 

Jasper followed Octavia out of the room and Maya was past Bellamy in a minute. “Are you hurt?” She asked in surprise at the visible bruises on his face. 

“Fender bender.” He shrugged off her hand, looking sullen. 

Octavia was clearly not taking his bullshit however. “He totaled his car playing Hood junior.” Her voice was clearly condescending and Bellamy internally cringed. 

“At least it wasn’t my car.” Jasper defended. 

Maya let out an exasperated sound. “Don’t say anything, Clarke was kind enough to already call you an attorney.” 

“That won’t be necessary, we won’t be pressing charges.” Octavia sounded tired. “So long as he gives up looking for trouble.” 

Maya turned towards Jasper and Bellamy could see the imminent fight. He turned to O, “I’ll talk to him.” 

Octavia got a gleam in her eye Bellamy had long since learned meant she had a plan. “Ask him if he knows anything about the vigilante.” She turned more towards him, separating their conversation from the whispered fight the couple were having just down the hall from them. “He obviously feels some sort of connection to him. The Hood might be using that connection to manipulate him.” 

Bellamy frowned, this was dangerous waters. If Octavia started to put together he had a team, she might find Raven, Monty, or Miller and that would be disastrous. “He doesn’t seem like the type to have groupies.” 

“We don’t know anything about the vigilante, except every time he shows up, all hell breaks loose.” Her voice was clearly angry. “It has to stop Bell. We have to stop him.” 

He was unsettled by how invested in her crusade against the Hood she was. He couldn’t be fighting his sister and the bad guys. His inability to respond properly went ignored as Octavia walked over to where Clarke was standing awkwardly between their sibling conversation and Maya and Jaspers whispered couple fight. His mouth twitched slightly in amusement at Clarke’s confused expression as Octavia hugged her fiercely. 

“Um...hi?” Clarke said, cautiously hugging back lightly. 

Octavia released her. “I know we didn’t know each other well before the Griffin’s Flight but I just wanted to thank you for helping keep my idiot brother alive.” 

Clarke was decidedly awkward receiving the thanks and she shrugged it off quickly. “Well, it’s really me who owes him my life I think.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. Bellamy spared a moment to realize she’d been back days and already had business cards. “We should meet up sometime. If we rope in Raven, we can have a proper girl’s night.” 

“Definitely.” Octavia confirmed taking the card and opening her briefcase to put it inside for later use. Which is when, the hozen he’d given her back when he’d first arrived home, fell out of the case. Clarke caught it easily but her entire body froze as she stared at it. 

Bellamy feared in that moment she remembered everything from the island. The hozen was connected to so many terrible memories and experiences they’d gone through. He moved quickly, joining them and taking it out of her hand and giving it back to Octavia. “Here,” Turning to Clarke, he winced at the way she looked out of sorts. “Clarke why don’t you go get Lincoln to bring the car around?” 

“Yeah,” she looked up at him seeming to snap out of it. “I’ll take Maya with me. Make sure everything is cleared with Jasper.” She ordered him.

He nodded, knowing she needed to feel in control if the hozen had brought up any old memories from the island or reminded her of her time there. Octavia looked at him strangely as Clarke moved stiffly to Maya and Jasper before leading Maya out with her. “Bell what was that?” 

“The island wasn’t a good place O.” He saw a tiny amount of understanding in her face before she stepped back. 

“I have paperwork, but talk to Jasper Bell.” Octavia reminded him.

Bellamy waited till she was by the desks before walking over to Jasper, who was sulking in the hallway now that his furious girlfriend was gone. “We need to talk.” 

“Yeah what about?” Jasper challenged. 

He crossed his arms. “Your anger is going to get you put in the hospital or worse one of these days if you can’t deal with it soon.” 

Jasper shrugged tensely. “Well better to be dead than in the hospital these days right?” 

“What do you mean?” Bellamy frowned, instantly on alert. 

“Have you been to the Glades Memorial lately?” Jasper looked at him confused. 

He let his arms fall to his sides. “No, but I didn’t hear that it had been damaged in the quake.” 

“It wasn’t.” Jasper replied tensely. “The medicine FEMA has been sending the hospital has been being hijacked. So, if they don’t resupply, they’ll be forced to close.” 

“By who?” Bellamy demanded. That couldn’t be allowed to stand. Not ever, not in his city. 

Jasper glared. “I don’t know! The doctors and nurses are already bailing on the place and the cops rarely go that deep into the Glades! So I guess that leaves me to figure things out and fix things!” Jasper was shaking with helpless rage and frustration. 

Bellamy looked at Jasper and understood his frustration. He wasn’t going to be dealing with this alone if Bellamy had anything to say about it. Not that he could tell him that he had gained himself an ally in his fight and that he wasn’t alone. That would reveal too much and put him in danger. Still, this was something that needed to be dealt with and now that the old gang was back together there was something he could do about it.

____________________________________________________________________________

Miller followed Bellamy as they made their way out of the Glades Memorial hospital. What had started as basic recon had turned into a horrifying look at an overcrowded, understaffed, un-supplied hell scape. There were people in beds up and down the hallways because of the lack of rooms. It hadn’t looked like a first world hospital, that was for sure. He’d seen better medical set ups when he’d been in Afghanistan with Reyes. However, for all the horrifying and enlightening sights, their recon was coming to a close with no new information relevant to finding whoever was causing the problems. As they were heading out, he spotted a crowd gathered in front of the hospital around a man who was speaking passionately. 

“Who’s that?” Bellamy asked. 

He sighed, of course Bellamy wouldn’t know. His self-imposed hermitage after the quake had left him dangerously out of the loop. “Cage Wallace.” He replied. “He’s a local alderman, he’s quick to share his opinions.” 

“Which are?” 

Miller took a deep breath. “Which are that the Glades have been abandoned and no one cares about these people.” 

Bellamy looked fairly resolute as they approached the exit where the alderman was speaking. “We care, and as long as we care we can make a difference” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Clarke was itching to do something violent but was trapped behind her desk getting caught up on her family company while Lincoln read magazines on the couch in her office. She glared at him, he was reading an entertainment weekly gossip rag. She raised her eyebrows. “Really, gossip magazines?” 

He flipped the page in his magazine. “We spend a lot of time in airports, I’ve come to like them.” He was totally unrepentant and she had to admit he had a point. 

She began to draft an email requesting the heads of each department schedule a meeting with her to update her on their current status. It took some time, she was out of practice with writing formal business letters, not that it had ever been her job before everything. With that done, she quickly sent it out and then pulled up a page detailing the businesses finances. She felt her face twitch in horror. Numbers were not her strong suit, finances were not her strong suit, this whole thing was not what she was good at doing. It didn’t matter though, it needed to be done and she’d just have to learn. Hopefully, it would be similar to how she’d had to learn Arabic, Chinese, both Mandarin and Cantonese, Tai-Kadai, Thai, and some French once she’d joined the league, difficult at first but fulfilling. If she could learn languages, she could learn finance. She looked up at Lincoln. “Next time you’re out, could you pick up some business for Dummies books?” 

“Of course.” Lincoln replied without looking up from his magazine. 

She almost leapt with joy when she saw Raven approaching the glass office. It was a welcome distraction and since Raven worked for the company it might even be work related. Honestly, anything to get away from budget review. “Raven!” She greeted as her friend entered the office. 

“You need a secretary Clarke.” Raven said while walking in before dropping down onto the couch next to Lincoln. “I mean you’re CEO and I just walked in to your office.” 

“Are you volunteering?” She asked trying to act nonchalant, but having Raven near and able to help would be a miracle. 

Raven looked alarmed. “Oh hell no! I’m happy in R&D. You’ll get me out of my tech heaven when you want to stop making money.” 

Clarke groaned, Raven was right. “So, what are you doing up here, not that I’m complaining?” 

“Boss man got your email and knows we’re friends so he sent me to update you.” She said while lifting her feet and letting them rest on the glass coffee table. 

Standing from behind her desk, Clarke grabbed a notebook and pencil before sitting down across from Raven. “What is R&D working on right now then, and will it be marketable?” 

Raven grinned, “Well right now yours truly is developing a Taser gun that has a much longer range and doesn’t need a wired connection to a power source. The problem is getting the power sources small enough to work in a projectile of that size. The applications of compact energy is limitless and should be transferable to other products as soon as next quarter. Our new work with centrifuges should revolutionize several business and bring in a lot of capital once we finish testing and begin on getting it certified. Other major projects are of course our robotics division, which is working on an underwater machine for cleaning the hulls of cargo ships without the use of a dry dock. Then our sonic weapons development failed to get the go ahead and has been frozen for several months.” 

Clarke interrupted. “So, Griffin Inc. has been moving away from possibly damaging weapon development since the quake then?” 

“Of course.” Raven said easily. “My Taser guns are the closest to weapons we’re developing at the moment. Everything else was shelved after the earthquake machine was revealed to have been developed by us.” 

She nodded in understanding. “Do you have a print up? I’m sure you’ve only given me the highlights.” 

“Yeah, we run hundreds of projects at a time. Those are our projects most likely to hit the market in the next year.” Raven said with a cocky grin. 

Clarke felt herself smiling. “Let me guess you’ve been involved with all of those projects?” 

“Duh, I’m the best remember?” Raven proudly asserted. 

“I could never forget that.” Clarke said, standing as she spotted Ontari heading towards the office. Her face settled into a professional mask. “Raven if you could send me an official report along with your personal recommendations for R&D before the end of the work day please.” 

Raven noted the change and stood as well. “Of course.” She glanced behind her shoulder and blanched at the sight of Ontari. “Oh god, the evil witch is here. Good luck with that, she gives me the ‘could cut my throat and not feel bad about it’ vibe.” 

Clarke and she noted out of the corner of her eye Lincoln both nearly choked. After all, Ontari could most certainly cut someone’s throat without an ounce of remorse. “It would probably be best if you steered clear of her and never let her hear you call her that.” 

Raven snorted but looked like she understood as she turned to leave when the office door opened. “See ya later boss lady.” She waved over her shoulder as she left. 

Ontari did not look impressed as she glared at Clarke. “Spending time with your friends during work hours?” 

Clarke bristled. “I instructed every department to send a representative to my office today to get me up to date on their statuses. Raven Reyes is one of our most valuable assets.” 

“See you don’t turn it into a habit.” Ontari said, walking over the coffee maker on the side table and making herself a mug. “I do believe we have some things to get straight before the next board meeting if we want this disaster of a company to end up as anything other than a liability to the league.” 

“I’m ready to start when you are.” Clarke said, forcing herself not to smack the stupid condescending look off Ontari’s face. 

Ontari clearly wasn’t done. “Oh and do take care of that alderman Cage who’s been rousing the mob against our financial bracket. We can’t have politicians dragging the company through the mud.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Monty spun in his chair as he heard the others heading down into the lair. “I’ve got something.” 

“What do you have?” Bellamy asked as he moved over to where his suit was hanging up in it’s case. 

“FEMA is shipping 100,000 units of medical grade opiates to Glades Memorial.” He said pulling up the information on one of his screens. It thrilled him how many screens he and Raven had been able to get into the lair for them to work on after the remodel. 

Bellamy looked alarmed at the sheer amount and Monty couldn’t blame him. “When?” 

Monty clicked pulling up the delivery date. “Truck is scheduled to leave the FEMA depot in twenty minutes.” 

“This motorcycle gang isn’t going to have any trouble with a target like that.” Miller said bringing up all their thoughts on the matter. 

Bellamy pulled his suit out of the case. “Well they won’t be getting what their after without any trouble this time.” 

“Don’t forget to bring the new arrows I’ve been working on for you.” Raven said from where she was perched on the table. 

Bellamy shook his head. “I don’t have room in my quiver for your new arrows yet, they’re too thick to be practical from any significant range.” 

Monty winced at Raven’s look, she’d clearly just taken that as a challenge. She opened her mouth in retort. “Well, have fun taking down a gang without killing anyone with live arrows.” 

“I can do this.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy arrived at the truck depot in time to hear the rapid automatic fire of illegal firearms. Moving quickly, he drew his bow walking between the two trucks. A FEMA worker was running down the narrow space between the two trucks to get away from the helmeted thugs. “DOWN!” He ordered the man. 

The worker dropped automatically giving Bellamy a clean shot. He took it hitting both thugs in the shoulder. The desire to grin at his ability to shoot two arrows accurately at once was tempting but he didn’t have time if he was going to protect the shipment. So, as the thugs lay in pain on the ground, clearly not going to be getting up anytime soon, he stared down at the truck driver. “Make your delivery.” 

The man scrambled to his feet, making straight for the driver's seat of the truck. He was opening the door when a knife lodged itself in his throat with a sick thump. Bellamy had an new arrow on his string, looking for the new threat, clearly someone who wasn’t just a thug with a gun. As the body of the worker fell off the side of the truck, he saw who’d killed the man. China White was stepping out of the shadows as she approached. 

China White was the enforcer and assassin for the Chinese Triad, and someone he’d fought the year before while he was on his quest to kill those on the list. How she’d managed to survive he didn’t know or care. What mattered was that she was a dangerous opponent, but one he could defeat as long as he didn’t get careless. He paused letting her speak, villains had a tendency to monologue and he was prepared to get any info out of the woman he could before he took her down. 

“The Emerald Archer.” She drawled while flicking one of her trademark knives in her hand. “I had feared you perished in the quake, robbing me of the ability to pay you back for interfering in my business. It is so hard to find a worthy opponent these days.” 

“Your business is finished here.” He growled at the woman pulling his draw back. 

Before he shot though, a man came sliding down between the two trucks using what looked like metal claws, to slow his descent. Bellamy decided to ignore the weird sight of a grown man using metal claws as a legitimate weapon. The fact he himself was wearing skin tight green leather and a bow didn’t register as laughable to him. He fired swiftly reloading and firing again. The new presence cut the arrows out of the air with what Bellamy could now tell were brass knuckles with claw attachments. He lowered his bow slightly in surprise. 

“I don’t think my friend agrees with you.” China White remarked blandly. “Our new partnership was easily cemented with the agreement to kill you.” She spat. “He was eager to test himself against you.”

Bellamy fired three arrows in quick succession, talking clearly wasn’t going to get them anywhere but again they were cut out of the air. 

“No kill shots?” The clawed man asked. “I was promised a fight. I hope you haven’t lost your nerve.” 

Bellamy watched in horror as China White got into the truck and he was unable to pursue. Clearly he’d have to fight through the clawed maniac first. Gritting his teeth, he snapped at the man, “Find out.” 

He didn’t have a chance to restring a new arrow since his opponent was charging him. Flipping his bow to the side, he used it to block the incoming strikes from the metal claws. He was impressed that the bow was withstanding the force of those strikes from what were honest to god metal claws. He tried to shove off the charging man but he couldn’t get the distance he needed. The truck with the supplies in it took off and he swore. Right now the narrow space between trucks had been keeping his attacker stuck directly in front of him, with the truck gone he was open to the man with the greater mobility. 

He managed to spin them into the space between oxygen tanks for pressurizing tires and the wall of the building. As he spun them into the small space he slammed his opponent into the wall with his bow pinning the man’s hands to the wall as well as his neck. The man twisted freeing one hand and shoving it forward in an attempt to skewer his face. Bellamy’s hand shot out grabbing the wrist of the oncoming hand. Cursing under his breath, he heard police sirens as the cops rolled into the scene. 

“Starling City Police! Put down your weapons.” 

A quick glance at the oncoming SWAT team revealed Octavia standing behind the officers. Breathing heavily through his nose, he grunted with effort but shoved his attacker’s hands to the side and took off out of the line of fire. Moments later the police opened fire. Coming around a corner he groaned as a stray bullet hit his lower leg just above his ankle. Yanking out one of the trick arrows from his quiver, he smashed it into the ground where it quickly sent up clouds of smoke. He shot another of the trick arrows into the rig up above him. The line attached and he snapped it into his pully system hauling himself up and out of the line of sight of the police once the smoke cleared. Cursing, he balanced himself on the rig with his uninjured leg, watching as SWAT swarmed the landing bay with Octavia leading the charge. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Raven watched in horror as Bellamy stitched up a through and through bullet injury in his lower leg. He’d made it back to the lair and cleaned up and then insisted he take care of his injury himself. “I’m a marine and I still find it wiggy you think stitching yourself up without anything for the pain is a reasonable response to being shot.” 

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Monty said, sounding vaguely nauseous at the sight. 

Bellamy just stared at him with a clear as day expression of ‘duh’. 

“He’ll live.” Raven winced slightly as Bellamy put in another stitch. “Though not with any aid from his weird ‘survivalist from hell’ tendencies that probably just show that he is secretly a masochist.” 

Monty shifted uneasily. “Can we talk about the fact the police of this city care more about catching the Arrow then actual gun wielding mobsters?” 

Miller spoke from where he was going through something on the computer, Raven wasn’t sure what. “The police have always gone after vigilantes. It’s not any different now.” 

“This time was different.” Bellamy said from where he’d finally finished stitching his ankle.

Raven looked at him in disbelief. “Why because Octavia was there?” 

“They got in my way.” Bellamy snapped while using his arms to boost himself out of his seat without putting weight on his injured leg. “So what if O is involved, if the police get in my way, I can’t do what we do.” 

Raven scoffed. “Well, maybe if you used the resources available to you, you could have taken down the bad guys before the police got there.” 

“What do you mean?” He looked at her like he honestly didn’t have a clue. 

She rolled her eyes at his stupid man pride. “I’m talking about the fact you have Miller, an honorably discharged marine, who is capable of going out into the field with you for support. You have Monty, who can hack pretty much anything and if you had your fucking comms on could have warned you about the crazy white haired Asian chick and the black dude with the claws. Or what about the fact you haven’t tried any of the trick arrows I’ve been making for you. Claw man cut your arrows out of the air like they were nothing and you kept shooting at him!” 

Bellamy looked chagrined as he looked down at the points she’d made. She decided to continue before he could think of some reason he hadn’t been a moron. “We’re a team idiot. Start acting like it. You’re not some lone wolf. You haven’t been since I realized who you were.” 

He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. “I’m sorry. It’s just with Clarke back I’ve been all over the place.” 

Monty piped up from his computer throne. “Why don’t you just ask her if she remembers the island?” 

“Because nothing good happened there.” He dropped back into the chair. “I can’t ask her if she remembers being forced to kneel in the mud with a gun pointed at her head. And I can’t ask her if she remembers what that insane doctor made her do for him just to stay alive.” 

“Insane doctor?” Raven asked feeling sick to her stomach. Bellamy didn't’ talk about the island and sometimes she was reminded of why. 

Bellamy made an aborted gesture as if to wave off that part of the discussion. “That’s not the point. I don’t have to ask her if she remembers that, because if she does she’ll know the Arrow is me.” 

“Look man,” Miller crossed his arms. “She reacted to the hozen thing, you told us that, and she’s been acting like you are more than a casual acquaintance of hers. Isn’t it better to make sure that the person who probably knows who the Arrow is under the hood isn’t getting ready to tell your sister?” 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Are you sure this is a good idea Al’asad?” Lincoln asked from his post in front of her desk. 

Clarke looked up from where she was using her hands to make sure her dark blue business suit was unwrinkled. “Ontari ordered me to handle it, and here at least it’s a controlled environment and no risk of a crazy reporter with a camera jumping out.” 

Lincoln squinted at the mention of a crazy reporter jumping out. He had no idea if this alderman Wallace was a threat to his charge. Shifting uneasily, he moved to the side of the room where he would have a full view of the room. “I disapprove of you engaging with a politician known to loath your family.” 

She strode forward, clearly having spotted the man coming out of the elevator. “He’s a politician, even if he was stupid enough to try and threaten to me, he would hardly do so in a way that could so easily be traced back to him. If there is one thing you can count on with politicians, it is that they will do anything to maintain their image.” 

He was forced to make a noise of assent as Cage Wallace entered. He’d just have to be on his guard while this meeting occurred. Why couldn’t Ontari be the one to deal with the politician? They killed politicians all the time. Working with one outside of a blackmail or death scenario was off putting and he didn’t like it. 

“Alderman, thank you for coming.” Clarke greeted moving forward to offer her hand.

Cage walked past her ignoring the offer and walking towards the large floor to ceiling windows. “Ms. Griffin, this is some view. How small the rest of us must look from up here.” 

Lincoln hadn’t truly wished to kill any of his targets in some time. It was a chore, work really after so many years of working with the league. Something you became fairly removed from if you stayed in the league long enough. However, he found that he could still feel the desire to plunge a dagger into a human’s chest quite deeply. How dare this foolish ant, presume to criticize the beloved? 

Meanwhile, Clarke took the insult with an assassin’s grace, none of her anger or intent showing on her face. “Would you like some coffee Mr. Wallace?” 

“I’d rather not.” He turned crossing his arms. “I was surprised when I heard you wanted to meet.” 

Clarke seemed to be ignoring the messages Cage’s body was sending her. His posture and placing himself in a physical position of power just sitting down on her couch smiling pleasantly. “As surprised as I was to find my head being called for by a politician I’d never heard of or met just days after returning from the dead.” She replied pleasantly. 

“Oh, that shouldn’t be that surprising, my constituents have a lot of anger towards your family.” He said while swaggering towards the chair across from the couch. 

Clarke’s smile fell into a serious gaze. “They have a right to be angry. My mother was involved in something unspeakable.” She crossed her legs. “However, I’m my own woman, and I’m not your enemy.” 

“You’re not a friend.” Cage remarked while sitting down. “To me, or the people of the Glades.” 

Lincoln twitched as Clarke pulled a checkbook out from the inside pocket of her suit jacket. He deeply regretted she wasn’t pulling out the knife he knew lay next to the book. “I’m hoping to prove otherwise.” 

Cage leaned forward and spoke like he was speaking to a simpleton. Lincoln was going to kill this man when this assignment ended if he hadn’t been allowed to before that. He could make it look like an accident. “Ms. Griffin, not every problem can be solved by money. Real change will never happen till your elitist friends realize it is morally unacceptable to allow thousands of its fellow citizens to live right down the street but in a third world.” 

She breathed in before replying. “Then let’s show them. I’ll host a benefit. Invite those people you seem so willing to throw into the fire and show them what needs to be done.” 

Cage leaned back into his seat. “People seeing you, seeing you stand up for what’s right, the CEO of Griffin Inc., taking responsibility and trying to help the people her company hurt in a public way, now that,” Cage’s condescending expression seemed to soften, “that would make a difference.” 

Clarke stood up, straightened her suit jacket and offered her hand. “Then let’s make a difference.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Bellamy slipped into Octavia’s work, in his full outfit, his green hood covering his face. He needed to convince her that the Arrow was different, that he wasn’t the bad guy. As Raven had told him, though with the clear understanding that this meeting did not meet with her approval. He pulled out a short distance frequency emitter that would blow the lights for a few minutes. He waited for her to be turned away from where he was hiding and hit the button. The office fell into darkness. He dropped into the doorway so he was a distance away from her and not threatening. Using his voice changer, he spoke. “Hello Octavia.” 

“Seems like old times.” She said, not turning around though he could hear the slight waver of anger in her voice. It dawned on him that the distance might be a good idea for his face to remain unharmed rather than to make her feel unthreatened. 

He cleared his throat. “We need to talk.” 

She spun around, looking like she’d like to be punching him in the face. “Fine,” She bit out. “Turn that thing off and take off the hood.” 

Raising one hand in a sign of compliance, he spoke carefully. “I’m not your enemy.” 

“You’re a criminal and I’m a DA. What else would you call it.” She narrowed her eyes. “The law applies to you just like everyone else.” 

It was difficult not to shift but he stayed still. “You didn’t think that last year when you asked for my help.” He paused for a minute. “You used to think I was helping the people in this city.” 

“And then I saw you.” She stepped forward, her hands clenched and shaking with rage. He was aware enough to be thankful his sister wasn’t going to try and punch the vigilante she didn’t know. “The night of the earthquake. Atom died, and by the time I got to him he was gone. I saw you leaving, too busy fighting a pointless duel with Thelonious Jaha to save the people you swore you’d protect.” She shook her head. “I don’t think you wear that hood because you’re a hero. I think you wear it to hide that you are a coward. I will see you arrested, unmasked, prosecuted and sent to rot in prison. So don’t you dare ever speak to me again.” 

He stepped back and slipped into the shadows without replying, after all, what was there to say to that? As he moved out of the office, he released the frequency emitter, letting the lights flood back on as he left. It would seem he’d wasted his time.

____________________________________________________________________________

Octavia arrived at the benefit Clarke was throwing for the Glades. She’d worn her standard black dress and was walking slowly around the room looking for a familiar face. Unfortunately, she didn’t often associate with millionaires so those attending the function were not in her usual social circles. She held her flute of champagne like a shield. Finally, she spotted Clarke speaking to Cage Wallace. Why Clarke thought dealing with that inflammatory lowlife was a good idea she didn’t know. Clarke had certainly gone with the method of using your dress as a weapon. She was wearing a couture dress that made men’s brains melt to aid in dealing with male morons. Walking forward, she caught Clarke’s eye. “Clarke.” 

“Octavia, good to see you could make it.” Clarke’s smile stopped looking like she was planning murder and became more genuine. Octavia was truly grateful for the change. 

“I was surprised you invited me.” She said, coming to a stop by Clarke’s side, meanwhile Clarke had shifted shutting Cage out of their conversation. 

She smiled. “You’re a DA, there are people here you will need to work with in the future. Plus, I needed to ask you about a girl’s movie night with Raven and I later this week.” 

Octavia shook her head, trying to understand rich people was pointless. “Don’t you have a fancy speech to be giving or something?” 

“I do,” She waved a tall broad shouldered man in a suit over. “Octavia this is Lincoln my body guard. Lincoln this is Octavia Blake. Please watch over her while I’m speaking.” 

He nodded to Clarke before turning to her and offering her arm. Octavia grinned, accepting it. “Pleasure to meet you.” He really was stacked from what she could tell. 

His mouth curled slightly at the edge as he led her over to table with a clear view of the podium Clarke was stepping up to in order to speak. “Would you like some more champagne.” 

Clarke cleared her throat over the microphone and Octavia leaned back to watch. Her brothers friend smiled and began to speak. “Welcome and thank you all for joining me to discuss this cause that is so close to all of our hearts. I, as all of you know, have been lost for six years now only to regain my memories and find that my city, our city, had been through something unspeakable. While I was in Laos I learned a lot, including that even the smallest kindness can make a large impact. If the people of the village I found myself in had not helped and cared for me till I was well enough to repay them, I would have died six years ago. Instead, I stand here able to make a difference in our city. I will be matching any pledge to the Starling city food banks and rebuilding funds made tonight up to the amount of seven million. So please give, and show to the people of this city that we all felt it when Thelonious Jaha attacked us, and that we will rise up together to repair our home. Even the least of us deserves to be helped and aided as we all deal with the results of the tragedies that have occurred in our city. I think if we work together we will find that the Glades have much to offer this city. After all, it is not among the wealthy that I found aid and kindness while in Laos but among the poor. Perhaps it is time that we who have resources show a similar spirit of charity.” 

She angled her body to the side slightly. “Now to inform us of the organizations helping rebuild our city and those that could best use our resources. is Alderman Cage Wallace. Please join me in welcoming him to the stage.” Clarke stepped back clapping as Cage stepped up to the podium. 

Octavia clapped lightly and watched as Clarke made her way over to her and Lincoln while Cage started his speech. As Clarke reached her she stared at her. “Laying it on a bit thick there?” 

Clarke shrugged. “Well someone had to do it.” 

____________________________________________________________________________ 

Bellamy went around a corner on his plain black bike with a rush as he saw the FEMA truck with the triad goons preparing to drive off with it. He could see the dead body of the driver already on the ground and hauled out of the truck. Releasing the handlebars of the bike, he pulled an arrow out of his quiver and drew his bow back using his legs to keep the motorcycles moving straight. He sent a stun grenade arrow straight through the passenger window of the FEMA truck knocking the thug in the cab flying out of the truck. Passing by the remaining men he brought his bike to a halt before unmounting and turning with his bow already drawn ready to send his next arrow. 

White China turned to the remaining thug, “Go!” Turning, she began to approach him. “Told you, on time to die.” 

___________________________

Monty laughed as his fingers flew over the keyboard, watching as the police followed false leads all over town, never getting anywhere the drama unfolding. “Try and corner the Arrow when your cameras tell you he’s on the wrong side of town.” 

Raven from her place leaning over Monty’s shoulder laughed. “How long can you keep them running in circles?” 

“How long do we need them out of the way?” He asked, grinning widely at his outsmarting the police. He tapped his comm. “Police are out of the way, do your thing team.” 

___________________________

Miller swore his black ski mask was made to make his face itch as much as possible. The itching didn’t even remotely make the alternative of wearing green leather worth it though. He watched, waiting for his opening as a crazy lady with white hair, a crazy dude with metal claws, and his crazy friend in green leather and using a bow and arrow fought in a twirling dance of deadly ability. Shaking his head at the crazy, he shot forward and grabbed the goon heading for the truck and yanked him back before jabbing a knock out dart into the man’s neck. As the body went limp and hit the ground he climbed into the truck himself and revved the engine before turning it around in the street and heading out of the area. Hitting his comm he reported in his success. “Truck is secure.” 

___________________________

Bellamy spun deflecting a knife from White China while ducking a swipe from the man who Monty had dubbed Iron Tiger. Bringing his foot up, he caught the forearm of a clawed arm diverting it away from him while using his bow to slap across White China’s face. Snapping his bow back up, he caught Iron Tiger’s next attack before punching White China hard, sending her flying into the side of a dumpster.

One down, he barely managed to deflect the next stabbing swipe Iron Tiger made for him. His mind fell into the peaceful place where he existed only to fight. Block, strike, kick, block, twist, dodge, block, lunge. It was a familiar rhythm and one he was addicted to in some ways. He was getting familiar with his opponent’s style as well. The man was talented and dangerous. He grunted as his arm got locked in and he was yanked around the metal claws held to his throat his back pressed into his enemy's front as they both fought over the freedom to move the claws either away from his throat or across it. He was nearly blinded by the headlights from the FEMA truck as it drove straight for them. “You’re not the only one allowed to bring a friend.” He grunted out.

It didn’t take long for them to break apart both diving towards opposite sides of the road to avoid being crushed by the truck. Gasping, Bellamy got to his feet and looked around for his opponent only to see an elbow disappearing into the construction of the scattered remains of what looked like it had once been an apartment building. He hit his comm. “I’ve lost eyes on my targets.” 

The light was bad, visibility almost zero as he half crouched making his way through the debris looking for where either of his opponents had gotten to in the chaos. Sheet plastic crinkled in the wind, making it impossible to pick up the sounds of anyone else moving in the rubble. Passing a dark corner, he nearly cried out at the pain of someone cutting across his side. Spinning with an arrow strung, he found himself facing shadows that Iron Tiger had clearly disappeared into while his back was turned. 

________________________

Miller yanked at his ski mask trying to get it in a more comfortable position as he drove down the road. He’d ditch the truck at the hospital and then double back to pick up Bellamy. He most certainly did not jump at all when his left hand window and peripheral vision was taken up by a lot of pure white hair and a very angry looking Chinese woman. “Fuck!” 

He dodged to the side just missing an attempt she made to stab him by reaching into the truck cab. The knife embedded in the head rest. He brought his elbow up and drove it into her face. She clearly wasn’t deterred as she continued to hold onto the outside of the truck. He nearly ran off the road and was forced to correct the heading of the truck only to be punched across the face. Grunting, he slammed his elbow into the woman again. 

_________________________

Bellamy was stalking quietly through the rubble. He couldn’t let the man get the drop on him again. He grunted in pain as he felt the sharp claws rake up his back. It didn’t take an idiot to know if Raven hadn’t designed the fabric, he would be taking a lot more damage than he was. Still, this couldn’t keep going on, or even the reinforced fabric wouldn’t be able to protect him.

_________________________

Miller was swearing as he tried to punch or knock China White off the side of the truck but she was clearly a stubborn bitch and was not going to come off before she completed her mission. With a prayer on his lips, he drove the truck straight into a dumpster. The impact sent her flying off the side of the truck and left him groaning in pain. Lifting his hand, he felt his brow. Damn she’d managed to cut him. 

_________________________

Bellamy finally heard what he was listening for so carefully. Spinning around, Bellamy fired into the shadows only to hear the sound of his arrow being cut down. It didn’t stop him firing again and again as the Iron Tiger approached him. Finally, one of his arrows pierced the upper section of the man’s shoulder. 

Iron Tiger sneered. “That hurts, but it won’t stop me.” 

Bellamy hit the button on the trigger Raven had handed him, causing the arrow to electrify. It sent the man crashing to the ground while twitching. Bellamy looked down at him and hit his comm. “Taser arrows work.”

Raven’s voice spoke up in his ear. “Find Miller, he hasn’t radioed in since he gave the all clear and the last traffic camera we have him on showed China fucking White was hanging onto the side of the truck like some sort of barnacle!”

__________________________

Miller jumped out of the truck and drew his glock. Holding it at the ready in front of him he began to systematically search for China White. The damned woman had to be injured at least from her short flight in the air. He barely stepped back, dodging the knife swing from the Chinese assassin and mobster. His aim was wide and she was into his guard. He dropped his gun, accepting it was pointless and pulled his hands up ready to fight. He got in a good one two before her foot connected in a brutal kick knocking him back a few paces. He moved in to hit her again but she dropped down, sweeping his legs and bringing a knife down to stab him. 

The sound of arrows whistling through the air saved him and suddenly she was physically yanked away from him. Looking up, Miller saw her attached to a phone pole. He nearly snorted at how ridiculous she looked. Her hands were caught in a wire net anchored into the phone pole with two arrows. He looked over his shoulder where Bellamy was pulling his bike to a halt. “I had her.” 

Bellamy shrugged. “Figured I had to try out the new arrows.” 

China White spat at Bellamy. “You’ve changed. You would have killed me by now if you hadn’t.” 

Miller cringed at the woman’s stupidity. Really, he should have known she’d be the sort of villain to monologue as soon as he saw the bleached till it was pure white hair. 

Bellamy’s hoarse ‘Arrow’ voice came out from under his hood. “The police can take the shipment the rest of the way.” The tip of his bow indicated the truck that didn’t look like it would be going anywhere without a tow truck. 

Miller fell into step behind Bellamy and walked away from the crazy Triad woman. 

“They still won't see you as anything more than the enemy.” China White said. “You’ll never be a hero in their eyes. You’re never going to be anything more than a criminal to them.” 

Bellamy turned at her words and Miller had to resist reaching out for him. He glared at the smiling woman. She’s been rendered helpless and was now using her words to score damage. He didn’t know why she cared to do it. It’s not like it would have helped her when Bellamy still killed people. 

“As long as the city is safe it doesn’t matter.” Bellamy replied before turning back and mounting his bike. Miller dropped down behind him. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy set his bow back down in its case and grinned at his team. “So, you were right Raven.” 

She laughed. “Of course I was, Monty and I here are the brains of the operation.” 

Monty stretched his fingers out. “Local authorities are nothing to my skills.” He blew on them theatrically. “Dangerous weapons right here. Forced the police to run around like idiots all night long.” 

He smiled walking over to Miller with a case of butterfly bandages. “Thanks for having my back. All of you. I don’t know what I would have done without any of you.” 

“Not going to diss my awesome Taser arrows I developed just for you?” Raven asked. 

Miller grabbed the bandages from his hand. “I can put some quick bandages on a simple knife wound.” He protested. 

Monty cringed. “Can we just agree that stitching up yourself is gross and none of you should ever do it?” 

Bellamy raised his hands. “Fine, I’ll let one of you stitch me up if I get shot again.” He leaned against the metal table that doubled as their surgery table. “Speaking of stitching, I think I might need a couple on my back. Iron Tiger got me pretty good.” 

“You’re bleeding?” Raven asked. “No, don’t answer of course you are. Monty rock paper scissors over who has to stitch up our resident hero?” 

“Hi guys.” 

Bellamy and everyone’s heads snapped to the entrance of their lair and froze at the sight before them. Bellamy blinked in shock as he watched Clarke walking down the stairs and into their lair looking around curiously. He struggled to say something but nothing came out of his mouth except a soft wheeze. It felt like when he’d been five and his mom had caught him stealing from the cookie jar.

She hummed while examining the cases as she kept on moving forward. “Nice hide out, I’ll admit it took me a couple days to figure out where it was. Nice security on the door Raven.” 

“Wha……” Bellamy choked. “How?” 

Clarke looked at him blandly. “I did say I remembered. It wasn’t hard to put together that the archer with a green hood was you. I mean you did decide to wear that damn hood as a tribute to Echo before I got washed out to sea…again.” 

“Again?” Raven asked, sounding just as shocked as he felt. 

She shrugged. “It was a terrible island. I got sucked out of a WWII submarine by a very bad man. Which can I just say was worse than the whole being thrown into the water thing that happened when the yacht was wrecked.” 

“You remember…everything?” Bellamy managed to ask, finally stepping forward carefully. This had to be a dream, there was no way he deserved to have his friend back. 

Clarke smiled softly at him. “Of course.” 

He couldn’t help it, he just reached out and yanked her against him in a fierce hug. He had her back. His friend, partner, companion. “I didn’t want you to remember Lian Yu.” He mumbled into her ear. 

She hugged him back just as tightly. “And not recall your hobo island hair? Never.” 

____________________________________________________________________________

Jasper carried the bags of garbage out to the dumpster behind the club. He was going to be doing a lot of chores to make up things to Maya. Still, he just couldn’t sit by and let things happen without fighting. Ever since she’d lost her leg in the quake and he’d been nearly skewered with a piece of rebar he was just so angry. He had to use it to help, or else what good was he? He could never be that helpless again, not when she needed him. 

He nearly tripped over a loose bottle when he heard it. Spinning on his heel, he threw the arrow that the Hood had left with him all those months ago towards the mugger who had to be approaching him from behind. 

Startled he stared as the Hood stood there holding the shaft of the arrow and glaring at him from underneath his hood. 

“I’ve been looking for you.” He tried to keep his nerves out of his voice. 

The modified voice of the Hood came out from under the hood. “You need to stop.” 

“You saved my life!” He shouted at the man. “Showed me I could protect the people I loved when others couldn’t.” 

“You want to help?” The Hood asked. 

He could barely contain his eagerness. “Yes! Train me, I can help you!” 

“Fine, if you want to help me, you can help me, but not by taking on the cops or the triad.” The shadowy figure replied. “If you really want to help, I need intel.” 

“Intel?” He frowned. 

The Hood tossed the arrow at his feet. “To do what I do, I need intel. That’s how you can protect the people of this city.” 

“How will I contact you?” He asked quickly.

“Leave that in the wall of the ally. I’ll find you.” 

Jasper dropped down and grabbed the arrow eagerly before standing back up and realizing the Hood was gone.

____________________________________________________________________________

Clarke opened the door to her hotel room curiously a knife resting against her palm ready to attack if need be. “Raven?” She greeted while slipping the knife back up her sleeve. “What are you doing here?” 

“Wow, warm welcome Princess.” Raven said while walking into the room. She raised a hand with a paper bag in it. “I even brought Chinese.” 

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you.” Clarke closed the door and followed Raven into her room. “Please say you bought orange chicken. It’s horrible and absolutely nothing like real Chinese food and I’ve missed it.” 

Raven dropped down on the couch. “Of course, who do you think I am?” 

Clarke smiled sitting down next to her. “So what’s the occasion? Not that you need one.” 

“You know all about my night life. Figured that deserved some take out and conversation.” Raven said, lifting her feet up and resting them on the coffee table while digging in the bag and pulling out several boxes of truly delicious smelling food. 

Reaching out, Clarke claimed what she could tell by the leaking around the edge was the orange chicken and a pair of chopsticks. “Speaking of nightlife, so how many of those scrapped R&D projects have ended up in the Hood’s quiver?” 

“Only my scrapped projects, and I suppose prototypes.” Raven opened up her mongolian beef. “Like the Taser arrow, it’s a prototype for the new Taser gun I’m trying to develop. The arrows give more room for the hardware. It’s what gave me the idea for the Taser gun.” 

Clarke let out a moan of joy at the taste of orange chicken. It was so very bad for her, and it had been so long. Lexa was a fast food killjoy and insisted on ‘healthy’ food, also a bit of a food snob really. Then again someone with that perfect of a jawline had to have some faults. “It's been so long.” She hummed in pleasure. “It’s so good to be home.” 

“So, you don’t mind I’ve technically been stealing small amounts of scrapped stuff from the company? Also the Hood is so last year. We’re calling him the Arrow now.” Raven informed her while munching on her beef. 

Clarke rolled her eyes. “Name change, got it. And no I don’t mind, I should have expected it really. Just try not to get caught, I’d rather not have to fire you.” 

“I’m hurt, I’m brilliant no one's going to catch me.” Raven looked at her curiously for a second. “So why the pimping hotel room? You have a home, why not live there?” 

Clarke sighed, it was a hard question and one she knew she would have to answer. “I don’t belong there anymore Raven.” She waved her chopsticks around vaguely. “I’m different now. My father is dead, my mom’s in prison for mass homicide. It’s not the same.” She saw the sympathetic look and knew she was about to get a verbal kick in the pants so she continued before Raven could say anything. “I’m going to turn the home into an orphanage. Already drew up the plans with the company, fully funded and staffed. The remodel starts next week. And Wells found a nice apartment for me. I’ll be moving into it this week.”

“You know your mother will have a heart attack when she finds out you’re turning the family mansion into an orphanage right?” Raven looked at her smugly, “Though that’s why you’re doing it isn’t it?” 

“Partially,” Clarke shrugged unrepentantly. “It’s good for the company’s image, I honestly would never have wanted to live there again, and it’s a real need.” No need to mention it also made an excellent cover for funneling illegal league finances from the company to field operatives. 

Raven looked at her seriously. “I’m glad you’re back.” 

“I’m glad I’m back too. I’m only sorry it took me so long to get here.” Clarke said, seriously hoping Raven forgave her if she ever found out that she’d been capable of returning for years.

____________________________________________________________________________

Bellamy knew he shouldn’t do it, last time it had clearly failed, but he had to try. He couldn’t just leave his sister to hate a side of himself. It was selfish but he didn’t care. This was his sister and watching her burn and be driven by her hate for his vigilante persona was killing him a little bit every time he saw her speak about him. So he slipped through the DA office to where he knew he could find her. He dropped down as he saw her leaving her office and hit the remote kill switch for the lights. 

“I told you to stay away from me.” Octavia snapped without looking for him. 

He had to resist taking a step back as she turned and stalked towards him. “I thought you might have changed your mind after I stopped the men terrorizing this city.” 

“It’s not your city, it’s your killing grounds.” She came to a stop glaring at him. 

“The copy cats are still alive, so are the triad members I took down yesterday.” He defended hotly. Why couldn’t she see he was changing? 

She snapped right back at him. “Atom isn’t.” 

He raised his head even though his hood kept his face in shadows. “I lost a friend that day too and I would gladly have given my life for his.” He meant it, he’d have given anything to save Atom but he couldn’t. 

Octavia’s face twitched into a victorious smirk and Bellamy instantly knew something was terribly wrong. “Well now you’re going to face the consequences of your actions.” She pulled a remote out of her pocket and flicked a switch. 

The result was instantaneous as SWAT members burst out of the various halls and offices around the floor, guns aimed straight for him. Instinctively he had his bow out and an arrow strung but there were too many people, he couldn’t shoot them all. He could practically feel the red lasers aimed right for his chest. Spinning with his bow drawn, he stared helplessly from under his hood at Octavia. 

She looked purely smug and vindicated. “I told you to stay away, I knew you wouldn’t listen.”


	3. The Dollmaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait....this episode....dear god the writing for this episode.....like just. dang.

Bellamy stood his bow steady as the red lights from the SWAT teams’ guns dotted his chest. He had no way out. This many people in a tight space, even if he managed to cause a diversion that gave him enough time to dodge the first volley a lot of innocent people, including his sister, would be hit in the crossfire. He also couldn’t surrender, if he was arrested everything would fall apart. There were so many criminals the police were not prepared to deal with in this city. The city needed him, not to mention he couldn’t bear to see his sister's face if she saw who it was under the hood. 

 

“Put your weapon down.” Octavia ordered firmly, the sharp edge of victory clear in her voice. 

 

He didn’t move a muscle his eyes tracking the various guns aimed at him. If he tried to move, there was a high chance his sister would be hit. Why wasn’t she wearing a bulletproof vest!? “I can’t do that.” He paused, thinking of how to get out of this. “I’m not your enemy.” 

 

Octavia looked like if she could kill him with her eyes she would be doing so. “Then. Put. Your. Weapon. Down.” 

 

He felt a bead of sweat drip down his spine. He had no option but to surrender. His life, his city, his friends, none of it was worth his sister’s life. Slowly, hesitantly, he started to loosen the draw on his bow. He knew the look on his sister's face. She was daring him not to comply. She would walk through hell without flinching with that expression. There was no talking himself out of this. His mind was screaming at him as he further slackened his draw only the barest of pressure on the string keeping the arrow live. His arms dropping lower as he forced himself to disarm, desperately hoping for a miracle to save him. 

 

The skylight above their heads crashed down around him. He ducked snapping his attention to the person falling through the shards of glass to ascertain if they were a threat. For a second he took in the form of a woman with long red hair, tight black leather, and a mask. Then hell descended. A distant part of himself was aware that the small circular device in her hand was what caused the noise, but most of him was reeling from the worst noise he’d ever even imagined could exist. It was excruciating, his ears screamed in pain, he could feel the sound behind his eyes echoing around in his skull. He and everyone else hit the ground scrabbling desperately at their ears. The glass in the windows shivered, quivered and then shattered from the sheer frequency of the sound.

 

As suddenly as it’d started it ended and an iron grip on his bicep yanked him to his feet and towards the now empty windows. His training and years of combat experience were the only reason his feet followed automatically. He leapt out of the window with the stranger without a second though. She’d given him his miracle and he was going to take advantage of it. By the time the first gun shot went off at their backs, he was already falling onto the neighboring rooftop and running beside the masked figure. Dropping down the fire escape between buildings, they both hit the ground in an alleyway. 

 

Panting, he shook his head to get rid of the still persistent ringing in his ears and examined his savior properly. He could see her back as she walked away from him. She was wearing tight leather gear. He could see the material was clearly designed to deflect damage. “Why’d you help me?” He demanded. 

 

The woman turned her head, her dark hair shifting to reveal a side profile. She didn’t reply though, just facing forward again and then moving quickly. With a short jump, her first foot hit the top of a car parked in the alley. Using it as a springboard she practically flew up over the rail on the emergency stairs against the wall and was up and out of sight in seconds. 

 

Bellamy stood there his heart still beating out of his chest from his narrow escape watching where his rescuer had disappeared. It left one burning question, who on earth was that woman? 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Monty spun in his swivel chair at the sound of someone coming down into the lair. He spotted Bellamy and felt a whoosh of relief. “Oh thank god.” They’d spent the last half hour in the lair desperately trying to find their friend.

 

“The police scanner has been blowing up for the last half hour.” Miller said, with the strain easy to be heard in his voice as he reprimanded Bellamy. “Octavia called in half the force.”

 

Monty felt his fingers shaking from the stress of the whole thing. “Yeah, cause apparently going after the criminals just isn’t in style anymore.” 

 

Bellamy dropped his bow into its case before facing them. “To her, I am the criminal.” He looked utterly crushed by this fact.

 

“Since when?” Raven asked, her usual lack of sensitivity apparent. “Like I don’t know if you all remember last year but she called us into help or well our boy in green, same difference. What changed exactly? Cause Octavia on a warpath is scary as fuck.” 

 

Green gloves creaked from the pressure Bellamy was putting them under as he clenched his fists. “She saw me.” 

 

“Saw you?” Miller asked, sounding alarmed. 

 

“The night of the quake, she saw me leaving her law offices while Atom was dead inside. She knows I failed him.” His voice cracked. “How can she do anything other than blame me for not saving him?” 

 

“Oh that’s bullshit.” Raven snapped. “You’re the only reason more people didn’t die. She’s taking out her grief on you and if we don't’ do something about it soon, it’s going to get her killed or fired. Crusades like this don’t last long without results.” 

 

“She’s my sister!” Bellamy protested. “A lot of people hate the Arrow. I failed over three hundred people lately! An entire region of our city is a war zone in all but name because of my failures.”

 

“Okay,” Monty interrupted recognizing a self-blaming Bellamy episode. He’d be back to acknowledging it wasn’t his fault in a few hours. Octavia always had the ability to turn him into a basket case. “How did you get out of there? There was a full SWAT team and they said they had you before the comms went down on us.” 

 

Bellamy ran his hand through his hair. “I had help from a woman in black. She had red hair and a mask.” 

 

“So, more copy cats like the Hoods?” Miller asked, falling back into business mode. 

 

“No,” Bellamy shook his head. “She wasn’t like them. She’s highly trained, she was able to take a two story drop without flinching and how she moved was professional. She used a sonic…thing.” 

 

Raven made a noise of interest. “What type of sonic ‘thing’?” The sarcasm at Bellamy’s terminology clear. 

 

Monty would have laughed if he still wasn’t settling from the earlier scare. Still, he found Bellamy’s look of confusion rather priceless. 

 

“I don’t know, I’m a bartender not a scientist. It was loud, painful, the glass shattered. My ears are still ringing.” He shrugged. “She had to have had ear protection though, she didn’t even flinch and she was herding me out before anyone recovered enough to even try and stop us.” 

 

Raven blinked. “So it was portable. How large of a device was it?” 

 

“Uh…like a baseball, it kinda glowed?” Bellamy said gesturing helplessly. 

 

Raven sat down at her computer station in the lair and started typing. “I haven’t heard of any tech like that outside of a few early prototypes we mocked up last year. Nobody should have touched those though.” 

 

Miller seemed to realize Raven was out of the conversation with her tech hunt. Crossing his arms, he asked the question that Monty had been wondering himself. “Any idea why an unknown woman would help you?” 

 

Monty piped in, adding to Miller’s question. “How did she know to help you? Cause we didn’t even know till Octavia triggered her silent alarm for the SWAT in the building.”

 

Bellamy’s face hardened. “I don’t know, and we need those answers. I don’t like the idea of another player in town. If she’s as skilled as I think, she could be a threat.” 

 

Monty nodded and resigned himself to a long night of research. “I’ll check it out.” 

 

Raven spun around in her chair and leveled a glare at Bellamy, surprising them all. “What I want to know is why you were in Octavia’s office in the first place? I mean, she’s declared you public enemy numero uno. She’s used all of her pull with the DA to put pressure on you. So, what the hell were you thinking going to her not once but twice?” 

 

Bellamy shifted uneasily before slumping against the table in defeat. “I thought I could make her understand that I’m not the bad guy.” He cut off whatever Raven was going to say. “I get it, I was wrong.” 

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

Kane was eating a sandwich in his squad car when the radio crackled to life. “All units, 10-78 at second and Fletcher. Please respond. Over.” 

 

Setting his sandwich down in the passenger side seat, he pulled his radio to him and clicked it on before replying. “Kane, Patrol Delta Charlie 52, 10-60, Officer Responding. Over.” He said into the handheld. 

 

“Negative, DC-52.” The radio crackled. “Disregard 10-78 and resume patrol. Over.” 

 

He paused as he had been reaching to turn his key in the ignition. Frowning he picked up his mic again. “According to whose orders? Over.” He asked, feeling confused. 

 

“Lieutenant Sydney. Over.” The radio broadcast. 

 

His hand dropped down and he frowned. Something was up and they were cutting him out of it. Whatever was going on was big and if they didn’t want him in it, that meant personal. A flash of fear raced through him. The only personal thing he had left was his step kids Bellamy and Octavia. If something had happened to them... He reached out and started the car. To hell with orders. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Detective Bryne was examining the crime scene when she saw Kane arriving on the scene. “Shit,” she waved off a couple of the patrol officers that moved like they intended to cut off the man. She walked quickly to cut off her former partner herself. He saw her and made his way towards her instantly. 

 

“Bryne, what the hell is going on here. Why did Sydney take me off my beat?” He demanded, a slight edge of panic running through him that Bryne picked up on thanks to years of working as his partner. 

 

“Marcus, you need to leave. We have it handled.” She said as she was then forced to follow in his wake as he moved ever closer through the crowd of techies and officers towards the crime scene. 

 

“What is handled?” He demanded before falling silent having clearly gotten a good look at the body. 

 

She cringed as she saw him taking in the scene. It was hard to hear he spoke it so quietly, “Barton Mathis.” 

 

“That’s what the M.O. indicates.” She responded, though she knew just as well as Kane did that their murderer was Barton Mathis. The deranged serial killer had been caught by Kane in the first place. She knew the case backwards and forwards, as did he. This case had dug hooks into her partner’s soul and not let go. It was the cause of his divorce, or well one of them. She watched her former partner carefully. 

 

Kane defended against what the posed body was telling them. “He’s in jail serving consecutive life sentences.” 

 

“Marcus, he got out.” She said bluntly. “In the quake, several of the prisoners managed to escape. Mathis was one of them. They’ve been keeping it hush hush.” 

 

Kane let out a strangled sound. “It won’t stay quiet with him dropping bodies posed and dressed like dolls with their esophagi filled with plastic!” 

 

She didn’t cringe at his raised tone. It was to be expected. They all had cases that hooked them like this one had hooked him. “You’re not on the case.” 

 

“Why? No one knows Mathis better than I do. I caught him before, I can do it again.” He asserted. 

 

Bryne reached out, grabbing his arm. “Come on Marcus, you know how this case got in your head last time. I’ve got all your notes and case files. Sydney’s orders.” That was that. She knew when to follow orders and this was one of those times. They’d been given for good reason after all. “If you go anywhere near this, she’ll have you arrested for obstruction.” 

 

Kane looked at her helplessly twisted up, trying to make sense of this. She could see it in him. “Bryne, please.” 

 

“I’m sorry Marcus, orders are orders.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Raven was examining schematics on the old sonic weaponry project from Griffin Inc while Miller and Bellamy wrestled on the mats. The ever present clicking of Monty typing and the grunts and thumps from Miller and Bellamy sparring was comforting. She was brought out of her thoughts when Monty spoke up as his typing ceased. 

 

“I’ve got some police files that may involve our mystery ninja.” He said proudly. 

 

Raven chucked a bolt at his smug face as he called their mystery woman a ninja. He’d been calling her that ever since Bellamy had reiterated that the woman wore all black and was good at climbing buildings. “Have any details for us there Mont?” 

 

“They all describe a woman in black attacking criminals. So far, she’s put three would be rapists in the hospital. If she’s killed anyone, I haven’t found anything on it yet.” He sounded kinda disappointed to still not know everything. 

 

Raven whistled at the news. “So, we’re sending her a gift basket, right?” 

 

Bellamy shot her a dirty look as he grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his truly fantastic abs. “How sure are you?” He asked. 

 

“Broken limbs, and a case of ruptured eardrums so the sonic thing is possibly part of her M.O.” Monty replied. 

 

“That’s her.” Bellamy declared before frowning. “She’s targeting criminals?” 

 

“Pay attention.” Raven snarked at the dude. He may be pretty but he wasn’t the brains of their operation, how he’d managed before them was a mystery. “Misogynistic criminals too. So, I reiterate, gift basket?” 

 

Miller pulled on a shirt with a grunt. “First the Hoods and now her, looks like you started a movement.” 

 

“I don’t want a movement.” Bellamy said, looking serious. “So, we catch her. We’re not letting the city get overrun with vigilantes.” 

 

Raven opened her mouth to point out that he wasn’t actually the king of the city like he seemed to think sometimes when Monty’s phone started ringing. She rolled her eyes, of course Bell was saved by the bell. Irony had to have its day after all. 

 

Monty picked it up and checked the caller ID. “It’s Kane?” He answered quickly. “Hi Officer?” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Kane felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he made his way to the roof of the police department. It was already dark out as he heard the door close behind him. Glancing around, he tried to ascertain if the Arrow was here yet or not. Turning around, he saw him. The vigilante was standing on the edge of the roof, he was silhouetted by the lights of the city, his features as hidden as ever. He was grateful that the vigilante spoke and didn’t wait for him to come up with what to say. It was going against almost everything he’d believed and done as a cop to come to a man who functioned outside of the law. Hell, the man was a killer. 

 

“So…” The deep clearly altered voice of the Arrow rang out over the building. “You found a way to contact me using Mr. Green.” 

 

“I knew he worked for you.” Kane shrugged. Really, the Arrow shouldn’t be surprised. He’d had Monty in his interrogation room right before the quake for hacking things that ‘coincidentally’ matched up with Hood activity. It was also Monty’s opinion on the Arrow that was why he was even willing to do this. “He vouched for you.” 

 

He walked over to where the Arrow was standing abnormally still. “You told me that you were trying to help without dropping bodies. Is that still true?” 

 

The Arrow dropped down off the edge of the building onto the roof properly. “I haven’t broken my word yet.” 

 

God this was a horrible idea, but he’d made his decision. “I need your help.” He breathed in, centering himself. “I have always believed that we didn’t need to go outside the law to find justice, but I’m not so sure anymore.” 

 

The Arrow moved slightly, opening his body up to him. It was a classic use of body language that was meant to gain trust. Kane was slightly insulted the Arrow thought it would work on him. “What’s happened Officer?” 

 

He shoved the file he had been holding at the Arrow. “Bartin Mathis. The media calls him the Dollmaker. He suffocates his victims with a flexible polymer that he pours down their throats and then he dresses them up like dolls. I caught him, but he got out because of the quake and he’s killing again now.” 

 

“This file is from six years ago?” The Arrow questioned from where he was standing holding the file. 

 

“Personal file.” Kane grit his teeth. “They’ve taken me off the case because I lost myself in it last time. They’re not going to catch him before he drops a lot of bodies.”

 

“Why not let the police do their jobs? Trust that your co-workers will have your back.” The Arrow asked. 

 

Kane lifted his chin. “They’re so stretched they can’t even risk the panic of letting the public know that he’s out killing again. You told me you were trying another way, I am too.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Clarke got up from her desk. She needed a break from the paperwork. Ontari was breathing down her neck about her charitable investments. The damn woman seemed to think bettering the community should only be done as a public relations gesture and that actual meaningful investment was pointless. As she strode to the elevator Lincoln fell into step with her. 

 

“Al’asad?” He questioned as the doors dinged open. 

 

She rolled her eyes at him. “Please Lincoln, Ms. Griffin if you must. We are leaving the office. I can’t plan another investment dinner. I truly cannot take one more order form for flowers that are a waste of money.” 

 

He gave her a sharp nod of assent as he stood at her back as the elevator went down to the first floor. “Where are we headed then?” 

 

“Verdant, I should check in with our friend in green and make sure he isn’t doing anything monumentally stupid like visit his sister in her office again.” She really ought to have smacked the moron after pulling him out of it but she’d been nervous that he’d recognize her. After all, a mask wasn’t much of an identity concealer. 

 

Lincoln hummed. “So the tracking beacon you attached to his quiver hasn’t been found, despite you using it?” The man sounded insulted at the Hoods stupidity in not checking for bugs. 

 

“He hasn’t thought to check for a tracker. Though if you could get ahold of some more covert intelligence gathering tech that would be helpful. It could be beneficial to listen in on his plans.” It was hard not to shake her head at the thought of Bellamy’s foolishness in regards to his sister. 

 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny piece of tech. “Would a compact microphone that relays to our phones suffice?” 

 

She looked at him in surprise and caught the mischievous look on his face. “I’m happier I selected you for this mission every day Fannon.” 

 

He was clearly pleased at the praise and use of his true name. Before she could say anything else, they were making their way through the lobby and out to the garage. She really ought to invest in better cars for the company. She’d carried out dozens of hits on various officials and business people who used vehicles nearly identical to hers. Knowing in detail how she’d murder herself in her own car was not a particularly comforting thought. She dropped into the back seat while Lincoln climbed into the driver’s seat. As they pulled out of the garage, she shucked off her business jacket. “Swept the car for bugs today?” 

 

“Of course.” Lincoln replied, sounding offended. 

 

She hummed in respect of his answer. “Tell me, why did you choose Fannon as your name when you were reborn into the league?” 

 

His eyes found hers in the rear-view mirror. He seemed to debate replying before he did. “I had severe PTSD after I got back from the war. They had us draw to express things. I never gave it up after I was discharged. It was the one good thing that came out of what I did.” 

 

“What country did you come from originally?” She found herself asking. Her ally and companion interested her. Also, the reminder that she was still in the league was needed. The time since her last contact with Lexa was beginning to scare her. 

 

“Spain.” He replied shortly. After a brief pause, he continued. “Why did you choose Al’asad?” 

 

She looked out the window at the passing streets, still clean and orderly so very far and yet so close to the devastation in the Glades. “When I was a girl, my father used to say that a Griffin was a bird and a lion but that I never learned how to fly. I never understood what he meant till I woke up in Lexa’s care and knew I could never leave free. So, I swore myself to the League.” She laughed under her breath. “Bellamy and Raven would say that I don’t know how to take it easy, or to give myself a break.” 

 

As they drew ever closer to the club, Lincoln asked another question. “Why couldn’t you go home after the Heir found you?” 

 

She tapped her fingers against the armrest. “They said I was soft when I first joined, a spoiled princess who did not understand the value of life. That Lexa was bewitched by my charms to allow me to take the trials, but I’d already killed and that was the kindest thing I did. When the doctor found me, I could do nothing. So, I assisted him because it guaranteed my life. He had so many experiments to perform on his prisoners, I became very good at keeping them alive. Since I could keep some of them alive, there was less suspicion when I let a few die. When I had the chance to kill the man perpetrating the horror, I sent an innocent man strapped with explosives to him. I had hope that his sacrifice would kill the man who threatened us all. I couldn’t return to the life of Clarke Griffin after what I’d done. After all, I’d already become someone different.” 

 

“They should not have doubted the Heir’s judgment.” Lincoln said solemnly. “They still should not.” He said darkly. 

 

Clarke laughed. “Ontari getting to you then?” She waved him off before he could reply. “She disapproves because I am a woman and cannot give Lexa an heir. Ra’s does not approve for the same reason.” 

 

“You protect the Heir. Surely, Ontari could bare the next heir.” Lincoln said sounding annoyed. 

 

“She’s too proud to accept any man save for the bat from Gotham as the father of any child of hers.” Clarke breathed a relieved breath as they approached the bar. “Honestly, there are ways to produce an heir that don’t require Lexa to take a husband of appropriate skill and pedigree. Ra’s however, is a man of tradition and he will be until he is forced to change.” 

 

Lincoln took a sharp breath. “You are a good match for the heir.” He pulled into a parking place and stopped the car.

 

Clarke reached forward and clasped his shoulder. “Thank you, but the challenge for power you are imagining will never happen. Lexa would never rebel against her duty, and Titus will accept her decision eventually. There isn’t much point in convincing her to take a husband when she’d kill the man on the principle of the thing.” 

 

Lincoln relaxed, his implied support of her in a possible conflict between Ontari and Lexa for the position of heir was near treasonous. She squeezed his shoulder one last time before exiting the car. Slipping in the back entrance and down into the basement was child's play. Coming down the stairs, she realized that it wasn’t going to be the laid-back visit she had been hoping for when she planned this. The lair was a hive of tension and activity. “I can see this isn’t a good time.” 

 

Raven’s head snapped up to her from where she was breaking down what looked like chemicals on a clear piece of glass. “Yeah, unless you know how to find a serial killer we’re kinda busy.” 

 

“I assume you called in sick then?” She asked amused as she walked over to the table and started leafing through the file on the serial killer. She’d never heard of the Dollmaker but she could see that he’d been active while she’d been out of the city. 

 

Monty piped up from where he was…doing something. “Raven and I have food poisoning from a late night run for sushi while working overtime last night.” 

 

Miller made a grunt of amusement from where he using google. She could sympathize. Frowning, she flipped through some of the paper work. “So, he has no family, friends or known associates in the city?” 

 

“More like the world.” Monty muttered. “Man is an antisocial psychopath.” 

 

“Did you try his lawyer?” She suggested. 

 

Raven looked over at her. “His lawyer?” 

 

“Everyone in the States is allowed a defense attorney. Attorneys spend hours for months with clients with as… festive... of records as him. I would start with the attorney. He’s guaranteed to know something.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Bellamy was overwhelmed. He had a thousand things to be doing and he didn’t know how to handle them all. His sister was trying to destroy him. There was a highly trained individual with unknown loyalty and goals running around the city, and now there was a serial killer who turned people into dolls was murdering people. Kane was apparently working behind his supervisor's orders which was just… so weird, and to top it all off he still had to show up for his shifts at the club. So, he was going to do something he truly loathed, delegate. 

 

Gearing up and then waiting in the alleyway behind the club was boring, but he knew Jasper would be heading out with the trash soon. His team was tracking the serial killer who didn’t even have a victim type beside female and pretty. For god’s sake, he didn’t even stick to a racial type. How Kane had arrested the man was beyond him and highly impressive. With an annoyed grunt, he shifted some. Really, people should appreciate how much work went into intimidating entrances. 

 

Finally, he heard Jasper’s footsteps and the clinking of the glass in the plastic crate he was carrying. He waited till Jasper was setting the crate down and his back was fully towards him. Dropping silently to the ground, he waited for Jasper to turn towards him. Sure enough, the kid nearly jumped out of his skin as soon as he caught sight of him. 

 

Jasper sounded fairly scared though he was trying to conceal it as he greeted him. “Hey, I was wondering when I’d see you again.” 

 

“There’s someone new in town. A woman. She’s targeting men who victimize women.” 

 

Jasper scoffed, his posture relaxing. “I’ve met her.” 

 

“Can you find her again?” He asked, pleased this was already going better than he’d hoped. 

 

“Yeah.” He said, somewhat defensively. 

 

Bellamy could feel his relief at having at least one of his duties addressed. “Find her but do not engage.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Wells!” Abby exclaimed as she rushed to hug the precious boy. 

 

He pulled her into his broad arms. It always came as a shock to her, how grown up the little kid she used to have to wipe ice cream off of was. He was a tall and handsome man now and it gave her a pang of regret that she was going to miss more of him growing up due to the actions of his father. It didn’t take more than a glance after hugging him, to realize her daughter hadn’t come with him. “Clarke’s not coming?” She let out, feeling a crushing weight suffocating her. 

 

He grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. “She’s just busy saving the company. She’ll be at the hearing and wanted me to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t make it.” 

 

Abby dropped down onto the bench on her side of the table, her heart felt like it was cracking in two. “She just got here and she can’t even leave the company for an hour to see me?” She plastered on a knowing smile. “She’d be here if she wanted to be.”

 

Wells sat down across from her. “Look it’s all been a lot for her. A month ago, she was a nobody pseudo doctor in the middle of nowhere and now she’s home but everything has changed while she was away from home.” He reached across the table, pulling her hands into his. “She just doesn’t know how to handle it, so she’s trying to fix what she can.” 

 

“And I’m something she can’t fix?” Abby said wryly. “I get it,” she cut him off. “She can’t forgive me for what I did.”

 

Wells shook his head. “If that was the case, she wouldn’t have helped pick out an outfit for your hearing.” He gave her a comforting smile. “She cares, she just doesn’t know how to show it. She’s different now Abby.”

 

Abby pulled a hand back and sniffed, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry, this place just makes me expect the worst.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Tony Danielle?” Kane asked as he knocked before walking into the office of Barton Mathis’ attorney. The man was pulling on his suit jacket in the dim light. Kane could almost appreciate why the Arrow insisted on the whole shadows and trickery thing. This was kind of thrilling. 

 

Tony glanced over his shoulder. “Something I can help you with officer?” 

 

“Barton Mathis, according to the case files you handled his post-trial appeals and I’d like to know where he is.” Kane squared his shoulders, standing between the man and the exit. 

 

“So, you can give him a parking ticket or something?” The lawyer asked with a hint of disbelief and a lot of sarcasm in his voice. Walking forward, clearly ignoring him in favor of gathering his things, Tony continued. “If you wanna talk to me about one of my clients, come back with a detective’s shield or a court order.” 

 

Kane definitely understood why the Arrow chose this method now. He had moved past uncomfortable with breaking the law to mildly giddy with his ability to not let scumbags like this man push him around with laws meant to protect decent people. 

 

“What, you find that funny?” The lawyer snapped. 

 

He couldn’t help it. “A little bit.” He admitted. After all, he could see the vague shape of the Arrow walking past the shuttered windows behind Tony’s back. 

 

The deep voice that sometimes sounded like a man who’d been chain smoking for years and sometimes was clearly a voice changer echoed out. Chain smoker today then. “Where do we find him?” 

 

“Iron Heights prison.” Tony replied instantly. 

 

“He got out.” The Arrow replied.

 

Clearly confused, the lawyer replied in some surprise. “What? How?” 

 

“You spent hours with him!” There was actual anger in the Arrow’s tone now. Kane felt a prickling of apprehension at that fact. “Where would he run? WHERE!?” 

 

“I don’t know, I swear!” The lawyer defended himself. His voice wavering in abject fear. 

 

Kane watched as the Arrow took a deep breath and then let his shoulders fall. It was almost unbelievably fast. One second he was standing there, the next he’d shot an arrow grazing the lawyer’s cheek. He jumped forward. “What are you doing?! That could have killed him!” 

 

“He’ll live. There’s no way I could miss from this range. Though I could do some more target practice if you want me to prove my accuracy. It’s not like it matters if I miss.” The Arrow brushed his panic off casually. He drew another arrow and prepared to release it, the threat obvious from his tone. 

 

Kane could see the classic good cop bad cop dynamic the Arrow was setting up but it was far more extreme than anything with which he was typically involved. Nonetheless, he went along with it, hoping it would produce results. “You can’t kill every annoying lawyer you come across. I’m a cop it’s my job to protect this man, I won’t let you hurt him! Just let me talk to him. I’m sure he will tell me what he knows once he knows the stakes involved.”

 

“Like you could stop me from killing him if I wanted to.” The Arrow scoffed. “Fine. He won’t talk to you and when he doesn’t, I’ll get to practice my aim.” The Arrow said seriously with threat thick in his gravelly voice. 

 

Resting his hand on his gun, he glared at the vigilante. “Just don’t do anything stupid alright.” With that, he turned his glare on the lawyer. “I suggest you start talking now. I’m not sure if I can convince him not to hurt you unless you give something up that can help us find your client.”

 

The lawyer was clearly terrified though he was trying to hide it. “Alright! I honestly don’t know much. Mathis was never the confiding sort, but there is one place I know where he might be.” He admitted, his speech hurried and desperate. “He didn’t tell me about it but he couldn’t hide his obsession. He was always drawing it. His cell walls were covered with sketches of the place.”

 

Kane was amazed their good cop insane cop routine was working so well. He didn’t question it too much though. He had to find the dollmaker, it had to be him, it was his responsibility. “Where was it? Was it in Starling?” 

 

“Yeah, it was the Bisque Museum. When I asked him about it he said the building reminded him of Germany where porcelain dolls were invented.” The man shivered, clearly creeped out by the memory of interacting with his client.

 

As soon as he finished explaining, the Arrow disappeared into the shadows, obviously leaving to investigate the information received. Kane paused. “I wouldn’t report this to anyone. You won’t be believed and I might not be able to stop the Arrow from retaliating.” After delivering his warning, he too made a quick exit. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Bellamy strode down the hallway of the ratty apartment building across the street from the Bisque museum with Kane following behind him. “Lady at the desk said that a guy matching Mathis’ description checked in last week to room 52. He paid in cash, in advance.” Kane said as they approached the afore mentioned room. 

 

Kane stuck his arm out stopping his forward approach. “No bodies, we’re doing this the right way. We arrest him.” 

 

“You asked for my help and I’m no cop.” Bellamy rasped in annoyance. “Still, I won’t torture him unless it’s necessary.” 

 

“I’m still a police officer.” Kane protested fiercely. 

 

Bellamy rolled his eyes under his hood. “Do you want to catch him or not?” 

 

“Let’s go.” Kane muttered as he drew his pistol and walked around him heading for the door first. 

 

As if that would stop him, Bellamy thought. They may have played a game with the lawyer but Mathis was a different animal all together. Regardless he let Kane lead them, it was just a serial killer. It wasn’t like the sicko could take him and his step-father. Kane was still a competent and well trained machine. He stayed back as Kane kicked in the door and burst in, leveling his gun. Bellamy could tell instantly that no one was in. Side stepping in behind the man cautiously, he checked for trip wires or other traps. Something was off about this situation. The fact that sitting at the end of the bed was doll with a newspaper article on the capture of the dollmaker was an indication they had most certainly been expected. He shivered, he was suddenly glad that they’d never had the money and O had never had the inclination for porcelain dolls. 

 

He had an arrow on his string instantly when he saw the thin metal string that had been attached to the door. Snapping his head back to the front, he felt dread as he heard the phone ring. Kane seemed to ignore all common sense and picked up the phone. He could hear Mathis’ voice through the phone. 

 

“Detective, it’s been too long.” 

 

Bellamy hit the communication button on his suit. “Monty I need a trace at this location, now.” 

 

“You sick son of a bitch.” Kane growled into the phone. 

 

The playfully amused voice on the other end came through clearly. “Sick? I’ve never felt better. Fresh air agrees with me. 

 

“I caught you before. It’s just a matter of time before I do it again.” Kane said with all the righteous anger in his soul. 

 

“Maybe so, but in the meantime, I have someone who would like to say hello to you. Say hello dear.” There was a brief moment of silence before they could hear the sound of a woman shrieking. The killer’s voice continued as if there wasn’t a woman crying out inconsolably in the background. “She’s a little inarticulate.” 

 

Kane’s voice went completely hard and almost desperate. “She’s done nothing to you! Don’t hurt her, just let her go. The one you hate is me not her.” 

 

“And allow her to wither away in a mediocre and forgettable life?” He seemed to almost caress his words. “No, she deserves so much better. She deserves to see her beauty preserved pristinely forever. Don’t worry, I will turn her into something special.” 

 

Kane’s hands whitened as he gripped the phone almost to the point of breaking. 

 

“Now pay attention Detective. What comes next is really quite exquisite. The sound of an esophagus slowly hardening is like a symphony.” 

 

Bellamy hit his com. “Monty, anything?!” 

 

“I’ve got nothing! He’s blocking the trace.” 

 

Kane, who’d looked up at him inquiringly when he’d heard him address Monty, glared back down at the phone. “Barton! Don’t do it! I’m begging you! Is that what you want? I am begging you, please just stop!” 

 

The shrieking sounds stopped. “I’m not doing this for you. It’s for the world to enjoy. After all, everyone loves a pretty doll.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Kane had never thought he’d be breaking into a private lab, that was contracted to examine crime scene evidence for the police. However, when it came to Barton there were few lines he was not willing to cross. Still, following the Arrow after being assured that the cameras had been taken care of was disconcerting. No matter how much anger was burning in his gut he was still a cop. “So, why do we need to break in the old-fashioned way?” 

 

The rasp of the Arrow replied. “Because we may have hacked in a few too many times.”

 

“They took their system offline?” He asked in disbelief. 

 

“They took their system offline.” The Arrow confirmed, and if he didn’t know better he’d assume that was a touch of humor under that hood of stoicism. 

 

Kane flattened himself against a wall seeing a security guard turning onto their hallway up ahead. Before he could make so much as a squeak of protest, the Arrow had shot a dart into the man’s neck. The guard collapsed to the ground. He grimaced. “I’m so glad you invited me to tag along. Watching you take down my coworkers is my idea of a good time.” 

 

“Tranq dart, he’ll be out for at least thirty-six minutes.” The once more humorless voice of the Arrow replied, ignoring his attempt at a quip. 

 

Kane shut the door as they entered the server room. “Yeah, I remember.” Waking up after being hit felt like waking up with a hangover. He did not want to exchange places with the unfortunate guard. 

 

The Arrow walked to the central computer and stuck a memory stick into the computer. “You're up Monty.” 

 

“So, this is what a typical night is like for you? Just a little breaking and entering and then you’re on your way.” Everyone seemed to ignore him as Monty’s voice came in over the Bluetooth the Arrow had shoved at him when he’d picked him up for this little adventure. 

 

“Right, toxicology up first.” Monty said as the sound of keys began to click. The screens around the room started to have multiple documents of numbers and graphs pop up on them. 

 

Kane frowned. “What are all these?” 

 

The smug voice of Monty came through the line. “Chemical ingredients of all the victim’s cosmetics. What their skin cream, nail polish, and blush is made of.” 

 

“Wait, wait, stop. Scroll back.” He ordered and waited till the information that had caught his eye returned. “There. This one, Ethyl Paraben, Sodium Laureth Sulphite. I’ve seen this before.”

 

The sound of clicking over that they heard over the Bluetooth sped up before slowing again. “It’s the skin cream. The lab techs found traces of it around the fingers. Probably something she used before he grabbed her.” 

 

“Skin cream.” He could feel his brain firing as he drew connections. “Mermaid something. One of his victims from the last run, she had this in her purse and I had the lab analyze it. It’s why I recognized the chemicals.” 

 

“Monty.” The Arrow started. 

 

“Already on it green dude.” Monty said. 

 

An ad for Mermaidian skin cream popped up on the computer screen. Kane looked over at the back of the Arrow’s head. “How the hell does he do that?” 

 

“It’s Mermaindian’s primary formula that they use in all their skin cream.” Monty confirmed

 

“Two victims with the same taste in hand cream, that could just be a coincidence are there any more.” The Arrow muttered. 

“Let me check. They didn’t run that amount of testing on all the women’s bodies but of the four they did. All four had traces of that hand cream.” Monty reported.

 

“That is not a coincidence.” The Arrow pointed out what they all were thinking

 

“He could be putting it on their bodies afterwards as part of his staging.” Monty pointed out trying to ensure they didn’t go too far with this.

 

Kane stared at the screen. “Even if he does, it is a lead we can use. Monty at how many stores is that hand cream sold? Maybe we can find footage of him casing the joint for victims or buying it to put on the bodies.” 

 

Monty’s voice came over. “It’s sold at too many stores for us to use it as a practical means of narrowing down our search for him. I can run a facial recognition program focusing on the cameras of stores nearby where the victims lived and worked but it’s still a long shot. I’ll send out an email blast to all of the stores that the product is defective. That may buy us a few days if it is a key part of his ritual.”

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

“Jordan!” The voice of the old greying street peddler called out to him. “It’s been a while.” 

 

Jasper checked over his shoulder that no one was watching. His hands tightened on the crate of champagne he’d nicked from the shipment to the bar. “I’ve been busy.” 

 

“I can see that.” The man said, taking a look at the high-end liquor. “I’ll give you a hundred.” 

 

“Four.” Jasper said, staring at the man in disbelief.

 

“Two-five.” He counter offered. 

 

“Done, if you throw in some information.” Jasper said while pulling the champagne just out of reach of the street seller. 

 

The peddler scoffed while grabbing the liquor and loading it up into his van of stolen goods. 

 

Jasper followed him. “Come on man, you’ve got your finger on the pulse of this city. Nothing happens that you don’t know about. I’m looking for someone.” He threw his hands up slightly. “A redhead, likes black leather.” 

 

“Sounds like your type.” The man snarked. 

 

Jasper grinned, “Beats the crap out of guys with a bo staff?” 

 

“That still sounds like your type.” The man finally turned to face him. 

 

“I just want to put eyes on her. What do you know?” 

 

“Not much.” The guy hunched his shoulders forward. “You know Monroe? She’s dating that gal Harper. She has braided hair, leather jackets, and a nose ring.” 

 

“I know her.” Jasper recognized the description easily enough. 

 

“She’s been seen hanging around with your black leather ‘friend’. I’d start there.”

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Wells squeezed Abby’s shoulder and tilted his head towards the back of the courtroom where Clarke was entering. He was relieved that he was right. Abby’s face seemed to melt into one of happiness as she spotted her daughter approaching. Clarke slid onto the bench beside him.

 

Abby reached over the divide, grasping Clarke’s hand. “I was worried you wouldn’t come.” 

 

“Nothing could have kept me away.” Clarke said with a reassuring smile before settling in to wait for the hearing to begin. 

 

Wells turned as the Judge called the court to order. 

 

“Docket ending 4587, State vs Griffin.” The judge accepted the file of papers and pushed his reading glasses up. “All right, I’ll hear your motions. Ladies first.” 

 

Callie Cartwig, Abby’s lawyer, stood up to present her motion. “Your Honor we would like to be heard once again on the issue of bail. Ms. Griffin has languished in Iron Heights prison for five months now.” 

 

“And in those five months, did the 305 people she’s charged with killing miraculously return from the dead?” The judge cut across. “If not, I’m a little unclear on how the passage of time is relevant.” 

 

“Might I remind the court that the defendant is to be presumed innocent.” Callie countered. 

 

“No need.” The Judge leaned back in his seat. “I went to law school. It’s where I learned that bail once denied cannot be set in absence of the change of circumstance. Ms. Trikru what do you have for me?” 

 

The tall intimidating woman Indra stood without a second glance towards Abby. Wells felt himself bristling but remained calm. “Your honor the State has no pre-trial motions to make at this time, but we would like to serve notice to the defense that the prosecution will be pursuing the enactment of Proposition 7.” 

 

Wells was shocked at how fast Cartwig stood up in response. “Your honor! I would like to conference with the District Attorney.” 

 

“There’s really no need, nor obligation for us to meet.” Indra replied still not facing away from her position looking straight forward and towards the judge. 

 

Cartwig was visibly upset and shocked. “What about professional courtesy? I would like to have a conversation with you before you seek the death penalty.” 

 

Wells froze in horror and could feel Clarke turn to stone beside him as murmurs broke out through the courtroom. 

 

“Your client aided and abetted an act of mass murder. One conversation won’t convince me that Abby Griffin shouldn’t be the three hundred and sixth fatality.” 

 

The judge banged his gavel as the court erupted into noise. He jerked as he felt Clarke move forward, placing her hand on her mother’s shoulder and whispering something into her ear. Whatever it was, he could tell it was supportive and he felt himself breathe easier. His family was going to be okay. If Clarke thought they could fight this, they could fight it.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Jasper approached the braided and leather coated back of who he was fairly sure was Monroe. Tapping her shoulder, he ducked a backhand from the girl spinning around. As a side note, he reminded himself that touching a stranger in this part of the city was a stupid idea. He’d been spending too much time with Maya in the better parts of town. “Whoa. It’s okay. You’re Monroe though right?” 

 

The girl frowned. “What’s it to you? What do you want?” She asked, taking a step back cautiously. 

 

Jasper ignored the tension in her frame. “I’m looking for a friend of yours. She’s a redhead, wears black leather head to toe.” 

 

Monroe frowned and gave him a quick once over. She took another step back, then dropped her head and shoulders and took off down the street. Jasper swore and took off after her. If she was running, she must know something. She was fast and clearly knew the area but he was fast too. He was hot on her heels and was up and over the chain-link fence right after her. The parking lot was hard to navigate but it was easy enough to keep her in sight. She took sharp turns and used her knowledge of the area to slow him down but he wasn’t from these neighborhoods for nothing. He barely paused to think it was odd when she ran right into an abandoned building. Panting, he followed her up the stairs and into an empty room. 

 

Frowning, he glanced around at the plastic sheeting and abandoned construction equipment. He realized he was inside the clock face with some surprise. Turning, he went to see if she’d ducked behind some of the plastic when his world went black.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Octavia had become a bit of an expert at being kidnapped over the course of the last year. Hell, just a few weeks ago a group of Hood copycats had grabbed her. No one had told her that being a lawyer involved kidnapping. It was getting truly ridiculous and she was going to have to learn how to get out of rope, because apparently just knowing how to pick the lock on handcuffs wasn’t going to cut it. Serial killers went old school apparently. 

 

Attempting to scream was pointless with the damn gag. So, she was stuck gnawing at the gag as best she could. Once she got her mouth free screaming would be her best chance at rescue, plus it opened up the option that she could bite the man if he tried to get close to her again. She had not been expecting to be grabbed on her way to her car. She was investing in some motion detectors in her car when she survived this because some two-bit hack of a serial killer was not going to be how she ended up dead. Stopping her desperate attempts at freeing herself, she froze. The door the van was rolled open, because of course it was a van, and a body was thrown in with her before the door was shut. Her eyes widened as she recognized the unconscious body next to her, it was Kane.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Monroe gleefully flicked the unconscious Jasper’s face to wake him. “Hey!” She slapped him lightly as she saw him waking. “Goggles, wake up sweet cheeks.” 

 

He squinted up at her while blinking. “Wha…?” 

 

“My friend here’s got some questions for you.” She grinned while stepping back from the zip tied boy as her friend, Al’asad, squatted down beside him. In the few weeks she’d known the woman, she’d learned little about her except she had a major weakness for curly fries or really junk food of any kind. Well, that and that she was scary as hell. It was awesome. There were plenty of crooks down here in the glades and she seemed to be interested in the little ones that the Arrow didn’t bother with in his crusade for justice. She’d have to be an idiot to not notice how the local gangsters were disappearing and that they were the sort that women knew to avoid. It didn’t strike her as a coincidence. 

 

So, really serving some jackass who thought he could get info out of her up on a platter to the woman seemed like a good move. Al’asad might be scary as hell, but she was ‘her’ scary lady. And she’d cared enough to come straight over after she’d called in to say she’d caught a dude asking questions. It was nice to be valued. Also, she needed to get a leather corset like that for her girlfriend cause, wow. 

 

“Who sent you?” Al’asad asked. Monroe was surprised to hear she was using a voice changer. 

 

The dude made a stuttering sound. “Who, what?” He curled himself up so that he could sit up in a more dignified position. The way he was looking around in confusion was adorable. 

 

Al’asad didn’t seem to be taking any bullshit as she slapped her metal pole across the boy’s face. 

 

He hissed out in pain. “Could you avoid the face? I have a disapproving girlfriend.”

 

“Who do you work for?” Al’asad continued tapping her metal staff under his chin forcing him to look her in the eye. 

 

Jasper’s features wrinkled further. “Work for?” 

 

Al’asad raised her stick like she was going to whack him again when Taylor Swift’s Romeo and Juliet started blaring from the guy’s pocket. Monroe felt her face shifting into a massive smile. If this dude made it out in one piece, she was going to make him her bitch for having that as a ringtone. Her friend/employer/leather clad leader dropped down grabbing the phone out of his pocket and killing the song. 

 

“Hey! You can’t go through my phone!” The guy protested, despite blushing a bright red. 

 

Al’asad ignored him before her face twitched slightly and she dropped the phone on the ground and looked up at her. “Let him go.” 

 

“Seriously?” Monroe asked as she watched her companion stand up and jump out of the fucking window. She gave a low whistle. That girl was hard core. Looking down at the zip tied idiot that apparently wasn’t a threat, she grinned. “Guess it’s your lucky day lover boy.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Bellamy yanked on his gear as fast as he could while Miller drove like a maniac down the road in Maya’s van. “Can’t you go any faster?” He demanded while lacing up his boots. 

 

“I don’t know if you noticed but there’s traffic and we didn’t have time to get the bike.” Miller snapped from the front seat. 

 

Bellamy glanced out the front window of the van and felt his lungs threaten to freeze. With this traffic, they’d never get there in time. “I’m going to the warehouse now. O’s tracker hasn’t moved for the last hour.” 

 

“Bell, he’ll have hostages, you need me!” Miller protested. 

 

Sliding the door open, he glared at the back of Miller’s head. “I need to protect my sister.” Jumping out, he weaved through the nearly unmoving cars, ignoring the looks he was getting. Seeing an oncoming motorbike, he close lined the rider off of it. Barely sparing a glance to make sure the rider was still alive, he swung his leg over it and took off towards the warehouse. Bugging his sister after the Hoods incident was truly one of his better decisions. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Clarke clicked off the mic she’d attached to the inseam of Bell’s hood. “Did you get that?” She asked into the mike connecting hers and Lincoln’s helmets as they wove through traffic on her bike. 

 

“Yes, but perhaps we should invest in a suit for me.” Lincoln commented. 

 

She considered it. Really, after what Jaha had done running around being seen in league gear, it had end up being associated with terrorist actions. So, having Lincoln wear the same uniform seemed foolish. “We can look into it after we take care of this. At least you had a ski mask in the glove box.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Kane fought against his bonds, the handcuffs digging into his skin causing blood to trickle down from them. He couldn’t get to Octavia, who was strapped to an upright metal sheet of some sort with a hose strapped into her mouth. The funnel and heating jar of plastic wasn’t necessary for him to know what was going to happen. He let out a cry of rage as he tried to break free. 

 

“Isn’t this nice, all of us here together.” Mathis remarked casually from where he was sitting on a stool watching the drama unfold in front of him. “It’s like Thanksgiving.” 

 

He didn’t bother telling Octavia to stay calm. His daughter looked like she was going to bite through that hose and or murder Mathis with eye power alone. There was no preventing the destruction that would happen if she got free. Really it was almost fortuitous she couldn’t talk, negotiating when the other hostage was spewing death threats was not useful. “Mathis, I know you hate me but this isn’t necessary.” 

 

Mathis didn’t seem to respond as he inspected the equipment he had ready for his ritual. “My daughter has nothing to do with this. Kill me, let her go.” He tried futilely. What made it worse was he knew it was futile but he had to try. “She never did anything to you, she’s not your type. Look at her, she has callouses and spends too much time in the sun. I doubt she even knows what Mermaidian is. Just let her go.” 

 

Mathis finally looked at him. “Now why would I do that? Look at her, she’s so lovely.” He walked towards Octavia’s immobilized form. He tapped her cheek gently. “Maybe a little too much melatonin in her skin, but...it’s the imperfections that make art sublime.”

 

“I am the one who put you away.” He leaned as far forwards as his bonds allowed him. “She had nothing to do with it.” 

 

His composure broke. “SHE HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!” Mathis roared into Kane’s face. “She’s your world, she’s your very soul! You know I could kill you, I could maim you, I could slice you into a thousand pieces, but if your soul remains intact what have I done? Huh!” He grabbed the jar of liquid plastic and stepped towards the funnel at the end of the hose. 

 

Kane fought harder, feeling the blood running faster down his fingers as he struggled desperately to get free. “I’ll kill you if you do this!” 

 

Mathis ignored him and dumped the jar of plastic down the funnel. With the clear hose, he could see it running down the tube towards Octavia’s throat. 

 

“O, listen to me okay.” Kane spoke desperately, he’d screwed up so badly with the kids but they were still his. They may not have been his by blood they were his in every way that mattered. All he could think of was teaching the little girl with pigtails how to ride a bike even after she’d lost two teeth falling off of that bike just the day before trying to learn on her own. “Look at me okay, just keep looking at me.” 

 

Mathis was watching eyes alight. In a soft voice, he spoke as if to a lover. “If you struggle, it will just cost you valuable air and ruin the beauty of your pose but I suppose there is a certain artistry in the way man grasps vainly at life.” 

 

An arrow whistled through the air. Kane was so relieved he barely bothered to be impressed that the Arrow had managed to sever the tube going into Octavia’s mouth while dropping from the rafters. He wouldn’t have believed it a few months earlier but the sight of the Arrow dropping down reassured him. 

 

The Dollmaker ducked behind Octavia’s still tied form before taking off out the nearest exit from the room. Kane swung his head back, seeing the form of a familiar green leather clad man, who seemed to be torn between giving chase and staying and protecting them. “We’ll be fine. Get the bastard!” 

 

The Arrow gave him a brief nod before taking off out of the door after the man. Kane nearly slumped against the pole he was attached to by his own handcuffs. They were going to be okay. The Arrow could take care of a simple serial killer no problem. So, he nearly had a heart attack when a second shrouded figure dropped down on to the floor silently. He didn’t recognize this one. He was dressed in black hoodie, what looked like office slacks and a ski mask. Kane breathed in, prepared to scream for the Arrow. When the wan raised his hands quickly in a sign of surrender. A low voice rasped out against the stillness. “I mean you no harm.” 

 

“The hell?” Octavia let out a strangled sort of sound. “You look ridiculous.” 

 

The figure seemed to jerk slightly at the insult. “I got the call to assist the Arrow in his work.” He gestured at his clothing as if apologizing for how ridiculous he looked.

 

“What do you want?” Kane demanded, pulling himself upright trying to summon some authority despite the situation. 

 

“I can get you both out of your bonds.” He pulled out what was obviously a lockpicking kit. He made his way over to Kane before quickly dropping down to deal with the handcuffs. 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Clarke had always mocked Lexa for her use of dramatic entrances whenever possible. Of course, she could understand why. The league’s bread and butter was mystery and awe. So, making sure everyone was too afraid to act against them directly was important. Still, Lexa’s fondness for aerial silks was something she had never understood. Which is why she knew it was a seriously bad sign for her hopes of making it through this separation that she was attaching aerial silks to the rafter. She could drop down to make quite a dramatic entrance without dying from the fall this way. She heard the commotion in the room she knew the killer was in and spun herself down in the silks. Lincoln could handle making sure the hostages survived. Her feet hit the ground just as the killer passed her. The look of shock and horror on his face at the sight of her was enough for her to reevaluate the aerial silk thing being useless as she snapped her bow staff out. She was going to make him bleed.

 

She stalked forward and swung her staff at an angle, sweeping Mathis’ feet out from under him. As he struggled up to his feet again, she slapped him across the face with her staff cutting his cheek open from the force. He grunted and climbed to his feet only for her to viciously sweep his feet out from under him again, sending him crashing back to the cement floor. She snapped her staff up knocking his chin up in a vicious blow. He crawled backwards from her, blood flowing from his mouth where he’d clearly bitten himself. She paused her approach, noticing the change in the air as another person entered the room. 

 

Two arrows went flying past her embedding themselves in Mathis’ shoulders pinning him to the wall. “You’re going back to prison.” The Arrow rasped. 

 

Clarke rolled her eyes and with a twist disconnected the two halves of her staff. With a sharp jerk of her arm she sent one half hurtling into the killer’s chest, stopping his heart for good. “No, he’s not.” She looked straight at the Arrow as he stared at her in disbelief from under his hood. Stepping back, she tilted her head slightly before dropping a smoke bomb. Old fashioned but effective. She was out of the warehouse in moments and settled down beside Lincoln who was already perched on the neighboring roof. 

 

“I hate ski masks.” Lincoln informed her as she settled. 

 

She smirked. “I’ll be sure to give you more of a heads up next time you’re needed.” 

 

“Why did we need to assist in this case?” Lincoln asked curiously. “The Arrow could have handled a simple serial killer.” 

 

“He would have let the man live.” Clarke frowned. “I promised him I would protect his sister and leaving a serial killer with a grudge against his family alive seemed pointlessly risky.” 

 

Lincoln remained silent for a minute. “He will ask more questions now that you’ve shown yourself to him twice.” 

 

“We need to get a handle on his leanings towards the league if we mean to make him an ally.” Clarke’s face darkened. “As it stands, I could use friends like him while I deal with taking control of my father’s company and the impending trial of my mother. He saved my life more than once on the island and I believe he can be a valuable ally if I give him the chance.” 

 

“You believe your mother innocent?” Lincoln asked in surprise. 

 

Clarke grit her teeth. “I believe her to be a coward who allowed herself to be used. However, I don’t think that deserves death.”

 

“We’ve both killed for less.” Lincoln cautioned. 

 

“I won’t interfere with the court.” She said, feeling like a traitor to her family because she meant it. “Still, she chose to go against Jaha. For that she deserves a chance to do better.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Octavia shivered and pulled the emergency blanket around her shoulders. She was sitting on the back of the ambulance and staring at her feet. Barely glancing up as Kane sat down next to her, she spoke. “Why did he save me?”

 

Kane grabbed her hand awkwardly. “Look, I can’t say I like the guy, or agree with his methods. Or even that I wouldn’t like to see him locked up for what he’s done, but we need him. For all his flaws, I really think that he’s trying to help.” 

 

“I’ve been trying to destroy him!” She lifted her head and stared at Kane. “He should have let me die! Why didn’t he?” 

 

“Because he’s a hero.” Kane tilted back slightly. “I messed up when I was married to your mom.” He squeezed her hand before she could interrupt. “No let me finish. After we thought your brother died, I threw myself into work. You and Bellamy are mine, maybe not by blood but you are. I was crushed by his death. Your mother lost herself at the end of a needle and instead of trying to help, I just spent more and more time in the office. You were the only one of us to do anything positive in your grief. I will always be unspeakably proud of you for that. Still, I think the Arrow is a bit like me in that way. He’s trying to do his best and he’s screwing up, but maybe we’re better off with him than without him.” 

 

“You did not just compare murdering people to your work obsession.” Octavia said in disbelief. 

 

Kane snorted. “I think I did. Look, he saved you because that’s his work. I don’t know what messed him up that he thinks running around the streets in green leather is the answer to his problems. What I do know is that he’s trying to do the right thing. I can respect that even if I disagree with his methods.” 

 

“Then why didn’t he save Atom!” Octavia spat her pain and anger leaking out of her. 

 

“Honey, I don’t think the Arrow could have saved someone who had a building dropped on top of them.” Kane said, always the voice of reason. 

 

Octavia winced. Kane was right. Her voice cracked as she stared at the ground. “He was only there because I wouldn’t leave. He was trying to get me out of there when he died.” 

 

“He loved you.” Kane said softly and squeezed her hand. “You were stupid on the night of the quake.” Kane’s voice quirked slightly at that. “However, that doesn’t make you responsible for what happened to him. You need to let this go or it’s going to eat you up inside until there’s nothing left.” 

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Bellamy glared at the table where they’d laid out the reinforced silk and the metal half of a bo staff. They were the only physical clues they had. “We need to find her, now.” 

 

“Yeah what are we going to do when we do?” Raven asked, glancing around the room. “Cause, don't get me wrong but she’s not striking me as evil.” 

 

“Raven’s right.” Miller crossed his arms. “Are we attempting to capture, negotiate, what?” 

 

“I don’t know.” He said through his teeth. “She’s capable of killing and experienced doing it. I’m not comfortable having an unknown with skills like that roaming my city.” 

 

“I’m with Bellamy.” Monty piped up, saying his piece. “I mean she could be bad news. First thing we heard about Jaha was that he was killing some corrupt businessmen and look what his goals ended up being.” 

 

“Yeah, he killed them cause they crossed him.” Raven lifted a brow. “This isn’t the same situation though. I mean, I don’t see how killing a serial killer, saving your green ass, and beating the shit out of lowlifes is some part of a giant evil plot.” 

 

Miller frowned. “She could be trying to get your attention.” 

 

Bellamy considered it. “She could have attempted to speak to me either of the last two times I’ve encountered her if that was her goal.” 

 

“So, we find her and then decide on a gift basket or turning her over to ARGUS?” Raven asked.

 

“First, we have to find her.” Bellamy said seriously. “If she’s on our side, we can talk to her. If not, I won’t allow another Jaha to terrorize this city.” 

 

“Wait, what happened to the no killing thing?” Monty asked alarmed. 

 

Bellamy clenched his fists. “If the choice is a new Jaha or my principles, then to hell with my principles.”

**Author's Note:**

> The League of Assassins are an ancient group that follows a code of honor. They kill very bad people that they believe the law is unable to handle. They are led by Ras al Ghul, which is a title passed from one Ras to the next. Once a member of the League you are allowed to choose a new name. The official language of the League is Arabic but the members are from all over the world and are fluent in multiple languages. 
> 
> The Undertaking was the evil plan of Thelonious Jaha a rich businessmen of Starling city. After his wife was killed while traveling through the Glades, the slums of Starling City, he made a plan to rid the city of the Glades. The plan was to use a device that created a localized earthquake to simply flatten the Glades removing the crime ridden area from the map. This would also allow him and others to rebuild the area in their own vision. Bellamy Blake as the Hood attempted to stop him and was able to destroy the machine but not before hundreds of people died in the quake and a great deal of structural damage was done to the Glades. Abby Griffin who was bullied into helping Jaha went on camera at the last second telling the people of the Glades to run which helped reduce the death toll. 
> 
> The Griffin’s Flight was a private ship belonging to Clarke’s family that was sabotaged by Jaha after he found out Jake opposed his plans. Jake had taken Clarke out on the ship so he could privately tell her what was going on and prepare her for his future attempts to warn the people. He never got the chance because the ship sank and Clarke was sucked out to sea. Bellamy Blake had gotten a job on the ship as a member of the crew and while also sucked out ended up on a life raft with Jake Griffin. Jake realizing he was unlikely to survive gave Bellamy a list and told him that the people on it were corrupt and destroying the city. He made Bellamy promise to stop the people on the list. While Bellamy was floating towards the island of Lian Yu, Clarke was picked up by a freighter owned by Dr.Ivo that was conducting illegal experiments. 
> 
> Lian Yu or Purgatory is a small island in the China Sea. Bellamy Blake is washed ashore where he finds it’s not uninhabited but the other people on it are terrifying he ends up tortured and forced to fight for his life. Clarke ends up on the Island when Dr.Ivo’s freighter comes looking for something. Clarke and Bellamy spend several adrenaline and horror filled months together trying to survive before Clarke is once again sucked out to sea.


End file.
